


Coffee King

by oiivkawa



Series: To The Moon & Back [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Getting Together, Humour, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Mild Angst, NOT slow burn despite the length, Pining, Slice of Life, Swearing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, coffee shop AU (kind of), just an excuse for me to write insane amounts of fluff lmao, like a smidge bc I'm weak, mentions of death (no main characters!), very very slight tho! only the first few chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 15:04:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 187,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10721739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oiivkawa/pseuds/oiivkawa
Summary: “I’min love,” Oikawa declared, succumbing to the warm embrace of his arms once more, burying his head deep within the confines.“You’re dating someone? Oh shit, I didn’t know that,” Kuroo whistled.“Iwish,” Oikawa responded with a sigh, memory flashing back to the handsome stranger and his green eyes, warm complexion, and thosearms–“Oh, so it’s that kind of love. Alright, hit me. What’s his name?” Oikawa’s face twisted down in an offended glare. “You don’t know his name?” Kuroo asked carefully, lips teetering on the edge of a smile.“Notyet, but I will. Mark my words, the next time he comes in here I’m going to get his nameandhis number,” Oikawa announced firmly.“That is,ifhe comes back. You know, this could have been a one time thing,” Bokuto reminded unhelpfully.“I take back what I said earlier. I’m firing you,” Oikawa deadpanned.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *adds to the list of coffee shop aus lmao*
> 
> alright, I really shouldn't do this and start another story but I can't help it *sweats* I've had this idea playing in my head for a few days and I finally decided to say screw it and actually sit down and write. 
> 
> this first chapter is shorter than what I usually write but it's just a teaser. I hope it's enjoyable all the same!

Working the 6 am shift had become a sort of regular occurrence in Oikawa’s life, as terrible as that was, but after 2 years of opening _Coffee King_ more days out of the week than not, it was a job that he had gotten fairly used to.

Oikawa liked working the morning shifts because they were the most predictable, and while he wasn’t opposed to excitement in his life, he preferred that it stay away from his place of work. Especially when said place was close enough to the school campus that most of the customers were university students. It wasn’t that he disliked the students – he _was_ one of them after all – but dealing with student problems so early in the morning wasn’t on his list of things he’d like to spend his morning doing.

Neither was waking up at the crack of dawn, but that couldn't be helped. Besides, he couldn’t really complain considering most of his work these days just included managing the rest of the staff and making sure the customers were happy. Being the Assistant Manager _did_ come with its perks, and Oikawa often exploited them.

It was by luck that he happened to notice the ‘hiring’ sign on the store during his first week as a first year, and it had been through even more luck that a few weeks after he was hired, the previous Assistant Manager quit. During that time, Oikawa had become quite the popular barista, thanks to his adept customer service skills and crafty beverages. With the promise to keep working his current job as well as taken on the duty of the Assistant Manager, he had been promoted with a pay raise.

Over time, the popularity of _Coffee King_ grew and Oikawa’s responsibilities decreased; still, he had become weirdly attached to the first shift of the day and chose to stay on duty then when given the choice.

It was a convenient place to work, situated right near campus and not too far from his apartment complex either. He could walk there to and from school in about 5 minutes both ways, which was just what he needed when he had to wake up so early just to make it to work on time, or when he had a closing shift and he wanted nothing more than to collapse in bed the moment he finished work.

Its convenient location and the experience of managing a business aside, there were other reasons why he enjoyed working there. Oikawa liked being surrounded by the smell of coffee; he would deny it vehemently when he was accused but he may have been a slight caffeine addict, which he was sure he would have turned into anyway were he already not one, after spending so much time in the store.

But he really did like working at _Coffee King_. The pay wasn’t bad, the store was busy enough that his manager left him in charge most days without complaint and his co-workers were pretty great too.

“Oikawa, I think we’re out of caramel syrup,” Bokuto started nervously. He scratched his cheek hesitantly, throwing an apologetic smile in Oikawa’s direction, which was met with a deadpan look.

Okay, so maybe his co-workers weren’t always _great_.

“What do you mean we’re out of caramel syrup? It’s only,” Oikawa checked his watch, “7 am. How’d we already run out? The bottle was full when I checked it this morning.”

“I uh… may have dropped the bottle on the ground and it may have not been capped at the time?” Bokuto asked sheepishly. He phrased it like a question but if the pink tint framing Bokuto’s cheeks was anything to go by, what he said was more of a _fact_.

Oikawa sighed, rubbing his head against his palms for a few seconds before lifting his head back up as if nothing had happened. It wasn’t like this was a new occurrence anyway; Bokuto was a great barista but a bit of a klutz otherwise and Oikawa was pretty used to it by now.

“We’re not supposed to get a new shipment until this afternoon,” he sighed. “There’s nothing else left in the back?” Oikawa asked, despite knowing the answer himself.

“No, I’m really sorry, please don’t fire me,” Bokuto whined, latching onto Oikawa’s shoulders and hugging him tightly.

“Bokuto get _off_ , I’m not firing you,” Oikawa insisted, wriggling his way free of Bokuto’s incredibly tight grip. “I’ll text Kuroo and ask him to bring a bottle from home,” he offered, placating Bokuto’s saddened expression with a reassuring smile.

“You stole a bottle from work?”

“I didn’t _steal_ a bottle. I paid for it,” Oikawa huffed. “Anyway, Kuroo doesn’t get his ass out of bed till about eight usually so try and distract anyone who wants anything to do with caramel with something else until then, alright?”

“Sure thing. Thanks, Oikawa,” Bokuto smiled, heading towards the back room, for what Oikawa could only assume was to clean up the mess he made.

Oikawa sighed, pulling out his phone and sending Kuroo the request, hoping that he would wake up before his alarm just _once_ in his life but knowing full well that wasn’t going to be the case. Especially considering that it was the first day of the new school year and Kuroo had gotten far too used to lazing around the apartment, watching movies until 4 am during the break.

Oikawa flicked his wrist up to meet his eyes again absentmindedly, frowning at the fact that it had only been 2 minutes since he last checked his watch. He was physically prepared for the onslaught of the morning rush that was bound to occur at any minute now, but he wasn’t so sure that was the case mentally as well.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the door swung open, followed by a small chime from the bell above to indicate the arrival of a new customer. Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Akaashi. At least he could deal with someone he knew for a few more minutes. Something about not being fully prepared had his nerves in a tight bundle, making his body feel far more on edge than it should have been.

They had run out of ingredients before; Oikawa had handled the morning rush during a _flood_ of all things. This was nothing and he knew it was going to be okay but his mind had other thoughts at the mere _idea_ of anything other than perfection. Just because he had earned himself a promotion quickly through luck didn’t mean he hadn’t deserved it, and it certainly didn’t mean that he wanted nothing but the best for his store.

“Morning, Oikawa,” Akaashi smiled, accompanying his greeting with a wave.

“Morning. I see you still have 8 am classes this year,” Oikawa laughed as Akaashi wrinkled his nose in response.

“Don’t be a fine arts major; I’m telling you these people have no concept of time. Classes are either first thing in the morning or the last thing at night and nothing in between,” he groaned.

“Sucks to be you~” Oikawa cooed, turning his back at the disgruntled expression on his friend’s face. “Here, I’ll make your coffee this morning,” Oikawa offered, pulling a cup towards the coffee machine. He pressed a few buttons, capped the lid and slid the cup across the counter. “Iced coffee, half-base just the way you like it,” he smiled, accepting the change. Akaashi hummed, sipping the drink and sighing contently.

“What? No Bokuto this morning?” he asked once the caffeine had settled comfortably in his stomach.

“Oh, he’s here. Probably sulking in the back until I drag him back out because he feels bad for dumping our last bottle of caramel on the floor,” Oikawa explained.

“Is it bad that I’m not surprised?” Akaashi asked lightly. “Wait, don’t tell him I said that. But do tell him I said we should have lunch together. That’ll probably cheer him up,” he offered helpfully.

“Thanks Akaashi, I’m sure it will. Have fun on your first day back,” Oikawa waved goodbye, watching as his friend muttered something that sounded oddly like ‘If that’s even possible’ before heading out the door. Oikawa bit back a smile, grateful to see that even though it was the start of a new year, some things, especially the people around him, didn’t change. It was refreshing and reassuring all at the same time, but Oikawa didn’t have much time to dwell on those thoughts.

As soon as Akaashi had walked out however, a small group of early-risers and morning-class students entered, leaving him with no time to relax. “Kenma, can you get these orders? I’m going to find Bokuto,” he called quickly, accepting the hum as acknowledgement. Kenma was quiet, but patient and quite efficient at making orders, which made him the perfect person to work the earliest shift.

Oikawa popped his head in the back, quickly spotting Bokuto crouched near the ground. He had hoped Bokuto was still cleaning up but the huddled lump leaning against the stock room door told him otherwise. “What are you doing?”

“Sulking,” he responded easily.

“Why?” Oikawa folded his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow questioningly at Bokuto. When the man in question peered up at him over his crossed arms, Oikawa couldn’t help but feel a little twitch of sympathy for the man. Despite the fact that he was 20 years old, in moments like these Oikawa couldn’t help but think he was twelve, all innocent and doe-eyed and so cute. If it weren’t for the fact that hugging him would probably just make Bokuto cry, Oikawa might have reached down and snuggled the adorable idiot.

“Because I suck,” he whined, dropping his head back in the space he had created between his knees.

“You think you suck because you dropped a bottle of caramel syrup on the ground? You’ve done worse Bokuto and you’re still here, and _not_ because you’re my friend,” Oikawa added before Bokuto could bring up that argument again. “You’re good at your job; maybe a bit of a butterfingers but when it matters the most, you pull through. Do you know how many people I’ve had request you make their drink instead?” Oikawa reminded.

“Really?” Bokuto asked, eyes lighting up slightly.

“Would I lie to you?”

“Actually, that one time you lied to me about the expiry date on the milk in your fridge.”

“Would I lie to you when it’s _important_?” Oikawa corrected.

“I don’t know man, that was pretty important. I was in the bathroom for _days_ ,” he shuddered at the memory.

“Ew, Bokuto please. If you’re feeling good enough to talk about your digestive problems, I think you’re feeling good enough to go back out and do your job,” Oikawa tapped his foot impatiently.

“Thanks Oikawa,” Bokuto smiled, wrapping his arms around Oikawa’s shoulders and squeezing tightly.

“By the way, Akaashi wants to have lunch with you. You should text him.” If Oikawa wasn’t aware of how Akaashi and Bokuto had known each other for way longer than Oikawa had known either of them, he might have felt a little jealous at the fact that despite his words of encouragement, it was the mere mention of Akaashi that really lit Bokuto’s face up.

“Sweet, thanks dude,” Bokuto chirped, rushing out of the back room at full-speed, smile and enthusiasm back to the top of his meter. Oikawa sighed, shaking his head slightly but smiling nevertheless.

He wiped his hands against his apron out of habit before following Bokuto’s lead and entering the front of the store once more. To his surprise, the entrance was way more crowded than he had expected it to be, but something about the first day back to class at the beginning of a new year caused this sort of jumble. The realization dawned on him and he shifted gears from surprised to thoughtful instantly. Oikawa swept his eyes across the store, looking for what required his attention when he heard his name.

“Tooru, I’m running a little behind. Do you mind taking the orders while I make the drinks?” Kenma called.

“Yeah, I’m on it.” Within seconds, the familiar routine was back and the lull that the first hour of work had brought was gone. Oikawa smiled and took the orders with ease, grateful to see the familiar faces he had gotten used to over the time he had worked here. A couple of new faces popped up too, but from the shy looks on their faces, Oikawa could guess they were first-years. Mostly though, they were it was recurring customers, since the new students tended to drop by later in the week when they were better settled in.

The customers moved through the line efficiently, looking pleased to have their caffeine fix. When Oikawa got to see the enthusiastic looks on the faces of his customers, especially so early in the morning, he was reminded why he liked working in customer service, despite the ups and downs it sometimes brought. Sure, he had been yelled at a few more times than necessary and sure, he had dealt with erupting coffee machines and messy floors, but he loved his job.

And when he was met with a new, _handsome_ stranger, he almost wished he could sell his soul to the coffee shop, if only he could see someone that good looking every day, for the rest of his life.

Oikawa wasn’t sure what he noticed first; the bright green eyes that were suddenly boring holes into him, the crooked, quick smile that was thrown in his direction as a short greeting or the toned biceps peeking out from under the man’s t-shirt. He liked to think he was a better person than to ogle, but he knew that was exactly what he was doing. Thankfully, the stranger was too busy staring at the menu board above his head to notice Oikawa, and he’d be damned if he let an opportunity like that go to waste.

Usually, Oikawa was irked by the people who stood in the front of the line and chose that time to look over the menu when they could have spent the time they were waiting in line to do so. Especially when people did it during busy times. But he couldn’t find himself bothered at all by the very hot stranger who was letting his eyes roam across the menu in search of an item.

Oikawa had never been more grateful for his job, or the fact that it was warm enough to be even wearing a t-shirt more in his life.

When the man brought his eyes back down to meet his, Oikawa put on his award-winning smile, hoping to impress him even just a _little_ bit with it. “Morning! Ready to order?” he chirped, a little louder than he had intended, but the stranger either didn’t mind or he hadn’t noticed.

“Hi,” he greeted, quickly moving onto his order. “I’ll take a large medium roast espresso.”

“Sure, anything else?” Oikawa smiled brightly.

“No, thank you.” Oh he was polite too. Oikawa wasn’t sure whether this was even real anymore. How someone could be so good looking, so _fit_ and so polished as well was beyond him but he intended to find out.

“Tooru, I’m ready for the next one,” Kenma nudged him lightly, and without thinking Oikawa handed the cup to Kenma with only the order scribbled across it.

Only when the stranger had moved aside did Oikawa realize he forgot to ask the usual ‘Can I get a name for your cup,’ which would have been the perfect way to figure out just _who_ this guy was. He mentally slapped himself, smile twitching slightly as he greeted the next customer as always, repeating the usual words; but his eyes were focused on the gorgeous stranger with the wonderful arms, who was waiting for his order a little ways off to the side.

Oikawa sighed when he left, momentarily forgetting himself until Kenma nudged him again. After that, the rest of the morning rush took a lot longer than Oikawa would have liked, mostly because his brain was far too focused on just _who_ that guy was and why this was the first time Oikawa had seen him.

He groaned, hands landing on his head against the counter when the store slowed down again and the only people left besides him were Bokuto, Kenma and a few customers sitting far off in the booths.

“The counter’s gross. You’ll get coffee in your hair,” Kenma reminded.

“This is your fault,” Oikawa muttered under his breath, but the comment didn’t evade Kenma’s sharp ears.

“What’s my fault? That you were too busy staring at that guy’s arms and forgot to ask for his name?”

“You’re so mean to me, Kenma,” Oikawa whined, turning his head to the side to glare in Kenma’s direction. But the other man wasn’t having any of it. Already used to Oikawa’s antics, he shrugged without offering a proper reply. Instead of getting Oikawa to budge, he moved to clean around where Oikawa was still lying with his head attached to the counter, ignoring the whines with practiced patience.

“What’s wrong with him?” Bokuto asked, poking Oikawa’s shoulder.

“Leave me alone,” Oikawa sniffled, burying his head further into his arms, ignoring the fact that it would more than likely result in messing up his hair and face. He had class right after his shift ended and he wouldn’t have time to go back home and shower, but the thought of having let that guy go without even so much as a name had Oikawa feeling sorry enough for himself to collapse against the dirty counter.

Before Bokuto could answer Oikawa’s self-pity, the bell above the door chimed and Oikawa snapped back up, practiced smile in place, only to be met with Kuroo’s tired face. “Oh, it’s only you,” he sulked, slumping back down against the counter.

“That’s a fantastic way to greet your roommate and best friend who busted his ass to bring you the stupid caramel syrup you texted me for,” he responded sarcastically, sliding the bottle in his hand across the counter to Kenma.

“I’m sorry,” Oikawa pouted in apology, lips quivering slightly.

“Whoa, are you feeling okay? I was just joking dude, chill,” Kuroo raised his eyebrows.

“I’m _in_ _love_ ,” Oikawa declared, succumbing to the warm embrace of his arms once more, burying his head deep within the confines.

“You’re dating someone? Oh shit, I didn’t know that,” Kuroo whistled.

“I _wish_ ,” Oikawa responded with a sigh, memory flashing back to the handsome stranger and his green eyes, warm complexion, and those _arms_ –

“Oh, so it’s that kind of love. Alright, hit me. What’s his name?” Oikawa’s face twisted down in an offended glare. “You don’t know his name?” Kuroo asked carefully, lips teetering on the edge of a smile.

“Not _yet_ , but I will. Mark my words, the next time he comes in here I’m going to get his name _and_ his number,” Oikawa announced firmly.

“That is, _if_ he comes back. You know, this could have been a one time thing,” Bokuto reminded unhelpfully.

“I take back what I said earlier. I’m firing you,” Oikawa deadpanned.

To his amusement, his words had the desired effect as Bokuto apologized profusely, insisting that he clean up after Oikawa’s shift so the other could leave early. The thought made him smile, lifting his spirits slightly but the fact remained that Bokuto was right: what if this _had_ been a one-time thing and Oikawa had blown it?

But despite the fact that Oikawa had never seen the guy before, he had looked like a student. At least he had been dressed like one with his plain navy t-shirt, dark jeans and backpack; and if he was ordering coffee from this store, then he probably went to the same university as Oikawa did. There were no other schools close by and he looked too young, too put together to have started working already.

Oikawa knew that was an unsubstantiated assumption to make but really, he just wanted to convince himself that maybe he would run into that handsome stranger on campus. He knew it was a long shot, but just the thought was totally worth it. If this far-fetched idea was the only thing that was going to get him through the day then so be it.

Besides, it was only a temporary solution; Oikawa was going to figure out that stranger’s name one way or another. It had been a long time since he had felt such a strong attraction to someone at first sight and he’d be damned if he let this kind of opportunity slip through his grasp.

Name and number: that was his plan. He had never failed at something he put his mind to before and if there was anything that had the entirety of his focus currently, it was that unfairly attractive stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> next time:  
> \- Bokuto is the best (worst) wingman  
> \- Oikawa pines some more (as expected)
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated! ♥︎


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, hello! 
> 
> I have decided that weekly updates will be posted on Fridays! I am willing to change this to a different day of the week though if for some reason this doesn't work out for you. let me know though and I'll make it work ^^ 
> 
> Oikawa is so precious (even when he's being a brat) and I love him to pieces and I hope you do too. ♥︎

Four days. 

It had been four days since Oikawa first and last laid eyes on the stranger who had taken over his mind and thoughts. 

Four days and Oikawa hadn't seen him even  _once_  (unless his dreams counted, which Kuroo rudely pointed out that they didn't). He had been at work every single day this week, whether he was on duty or not in the hopes that he would get to see that guy again. Luck, it turned out, was  _not_  on his side.

Oikawa was going through withdrawal without having even had more than a glance at the man. He had been there long enough to give Oikawa just what he needed to realize what he was missing but it wasn’t enough to actually satisfy him. No, it wasn’t  _nearly_  enough to do anything more than make his heart pine and mind turn to goo.

“Oikawa, go home,” Suga sighed, pulling out the empty seat across Oikawa and sitting down. He slid a croissant across the table as a peace offering.

“No,” Oikawa pouted defiantly, taking a bite out of the pastry. 

“I told you; we'll tell you if he comes in. You've got one of your friends on every shift possible for the next three weeks straight. If you don't get his name, someone else will,” Suga reasoned. 

“That's the point. I don't want  _someone else_  to get his name.  _I_  want to get his name,” Oikawa said petulantly, eyes narrowed and lips pursed in that way he got when things didn’t go his way.

Suga sighed, placing his chin in his hands and resting them on the table, watching Oikawa with an almost amused expression. “I meant that someone else would get his name  _for_  you.”

“That's not what you said though,” Oikawa argued stubbornly. 

“It was implied,” Suga deadpanned. Oikawa scoffed in response, making Suga raise his eyebrows. “What's anyone else going to do with his name for a purpose other than to tell you what it is? I'm already dating Daichi, and Kenma has Kuroo. Plus, Bokuto only has eyes for Akaashi even though he denies it's anything but admiration. Am I missing anyone else that you've told about this mystery man of yours?” Suga asked. 

“Ugh stop being logical and let me complain,” Oikawa snapped, stuffing the rest of his uneaten croissant in his mouth in one go. “And stop reminding me how all of my friends are in perfect relationships while I’m utterly alone,” he added over his mouthful.

Suga bit back a laugh, making Oikawa frown, but his face hardly looked menacing with his cheeks puffed out like that. “Go home, Oikawa,“ Suga repeated again. ”It's Friday, and I think you should relax since you're working tomorrow morning anyway. I'll tell you if this guy comes in,” he promised, ignoring Oikawa’s comment about being alone. It was what Oikawa was gunning for and Suga knew better than to indulge him when he was angry. 

“You don't even know what he looks like,” Oikawa frowned. “How do I know you won't miss him?”

“Green eyes, about Akaashi's height, tan complexion, dark, spiky hair and  _the nicest arms_ ,” Suga counted off. “Am I missing anything?” he smiled contently, watching Oikawa's struggling expression. 

“You didn't see his face. Anyone could have those features,” Oikawa insisted. 

“Kenma's working in an hour anyway and he's seen your man. Are you going to leave willingly or am I going to have to kick you out?” Suga threatened. 

“You know, I could fire you for this kind of behaviour,” Oikawa remarked airily, but the idea of Suga calling that stranger  _his man_  had placated him a little. 

“But you won't so just get out. You're dampening the mood with your sour expression,” Suga sighed. Oikawa watched him check his watch with a frown before giving him a pointed look. “I've got to go prepare for the evening rush. Go enjoy your Friday like a normal person instead of moping around here,” Suga instructed, packing Oikawa's uneaten egg tart back into the paper bag it had come in and waving it in his face. 

“Hey, I was eating that!” Oikawa huffed, grabbing the bag from Suga's hand and making his way to the door. He was met with a light chuckle and a firm push. 

He hated to admit it, but Suga was right. He was moping at best, which was unlike him to do over someone he didn't even really know. Oikawa Tooru didn’t mope over a guy; he was the one who was usually being pursued, not the other way around dammit. He shouldn’t have been acting like a high schooler with their first crush except that he was. He didn’t know what made him angrier: the fact that he had a  _crush_  on a guy who he had no way of contacting or the fact that this guy hadn’t come back since Monday.

It was unfair of him to pin the blame for his feelings on the stranger but really, it was the easiest thing for him to do.

Especially when he got back home to find Kuroo and Kenma snuggled on the couch, looking incredibly adorable and  _happy_.

Oikawa wasn’t a petty person. Okay, that was a lie, he  _was_  petty but never when it came to his friends. Still, he couldn’t help but snap an angry, “Don’t you have to get ready for work?” before stomping loudly towards his own room.

They weren’t even doing anything except watching a movie together; yet just the sight of Kuroo and Kenma so happy worsened his mood slightly, only until he realized he was being a shitty friend and then he was met with a lump of guilt settling deep within his stomach. He knew he should apologize, but just the thought of leaving the room was unappealing and so he opted to apologize later. Instead, he changed into comfier clothes and wrapped himself up in his blankets. It was only 6 pm, yet Oikawa wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and end his terrible day.

This was supposed to be a good year. He was halfway through his degree, he had a great apartment close to campus, he had a good-paying job and he had his friends close by. Everything about that screamed good, no,  _great_  but somehow, Oikawa couldn’t help but feel that the year couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start.

He knew he was being dramatic. He was infatuated at best; he didn’t even know anything about the guy besides what he looked like, but Oikawa couldn’t help it. It had been far too long since he had wanted to get to know someone that badly, to want to see another person  _that badly_  and he was pissed his resolution to find the man’s name and get his number was utterly failing. If only he could see him again.

“You have ten seconds to open the door before I break in,” Kuroo’s voice called from the other side, cutting off Oikawa’s negative train of thought.

“Go away!”

“Alright, I warned you,” was the only reply Oikawa got before he heard a loud bang. He quickly threw off the blankets and stared wide-eyed at his door, or well, what was  _once_  his door but was now threatening to fall off its hinges.

“What the fuck did you do?” Oikawa gaped.

“Melted the lock off,” Kuroo grinned.

“Holy shit, did you take chemicals from the lab again? You know you could get expelled for that!” Oikawa yelled, shuffling further into his bed because who knew what kind of stuff Kuroo had used on the door. “You’re going to turn our apartment into a science dump,” he complained.

“I didn’t take chemicals from the lab! I bought them,” Kuroo insisted, eyeing the loosely held door warily before stepping into Oikawa’s room. “One day when you get awesome super powers, you’ll be thanking me,” he hummed.

“More like one day, when I’m dying because of too much exposure to unknown chemicals, I’m going to be sending you my hospital bill,” Oikawa scoffed. “No, stay away from me and don’t you dare take your gloves off in here,” Oikawa scuffled back and away from Kuroo’s figure that threatened to approach him.

“Alright, this is against everything I learn anyway, so I’ll listen to you just this once. Just get out of bed and go change. We’re going out,” he announced, heading out towards the hallway.

“I don’t want to go out,” Oikawa responded stubbornly. “I’m comfy where I am!”

“Too bad you don’t have a choice. How about we say that you going out makes us even for your uncalled for temper tantrum earlier?” Kuroo grinned.

Oikawa had the decency to blush but he wasn't going to give in that easily. “What about any of this,” he pointed to his beaten up door, “looks fair to you?”

“Fine, I’ll buy you dinner too,” Kuroo called over his shoulder. “Just go get changed. I’m tired of watching you act like a spinster when you’re only 20. And I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer so unless you want to hear another mini explosion you’ll get changed and be ready to leave in 10 minutes!” he shouted, already having reached his own room.

Oikawa sighed, watching his beaten up door warily before pushing himself out of bed. Well, at least he was getting a free dinner out of this. And maybe a slight distraction from his feelings, which he was sorely in need of. He pushed the door closed gingerly, only to hear it wobble and scrape against the floor. “I’m not paying for the door either!” Oikawa shouted once more before reaching for a change of clothes.

* * *

Going out with Kuroo was never just a ‘dinner’ thing. One thing Oikawa had learned back in his first year when he was presented with Kuroo as his dorm mate was that the man could party. And hold his alcohol, which was pretty impressive considering he was an athlete in high school and wouldn’t have had much of a chance to drink.

Yet, he could outdrink most people Oikawa knew without so much as batting an eye. He claimed it was all the fish he ate; Oikawa liked to believe he was some kind of accident. 

Another thing Oikawa had learned was that while Kuroo had the liver capacity of an entire army, he did not. He was the dictionary definition of a lightweight and the very worst thing he could do was to let Kuroo offer him drinks, since neither of them knew their own limits. Two years of getting used to Kuroo’s behaviour and Oikawa was still susceptible to his pleads of ‘just a few more minutes then we’ll go home,’ which was how he found himself hungover and incredibly tired at work on a Saturday at 6 am.

“You’re late,” he snapped at Bokuto, who entered the premise with a sheepish grin.

“Sorry, sorry!” he apologized before taking in Oikawa’s appearance. “You went out last night?” he gestured vaguely. Oikawa didn’t think he looked that bad per se, but definitely not great and Bokuto pointing it out did nothing to ease up his sour mood.

“More like dragged out,” he corrected. “Next time you come over, eat all the mackerel Kuroo has stocked up in the freezer.”

“Why don’t you just do it?” Bokuto laughed, pulling on his apron.

“Because it tastes gross and I’d throw it out but that’d just be a waste. Besides, Kuroo gets angrier when someone else eats his food,” Oikawa reasoned.

Bokuto laughed, popping into the employee room quickly to drop off his bag before taking his place behind the counter. “Wow, I feel a lot of animosity here.”

“He also blew up my door,” Oikawa deadpanned. 

“He  _what_? How'd he do that? You know what, never mind I don't want to know. That sounds criminal and we both know I can't live with those kinds of secrets,” Bokuto shuddered, eyes flashing knowingly. 

Oikawa bit back a laugh, positive that Bokuto's mind had gone back to that time in first year when Kuroo had convinced Bokuto to help him test which objects his homemade cleaning spray could clean the best. And by clean, he meant eat through. Oblivious and naive, Bokuto had helped out until he realized that what Kuroo was doing was probably dangerous at which point he blabbed to the RA. 

Safe to say, Kuroo was banned from experimenting in the dorms and Bokuto was cut out of all of Kuroo's future experiments. 

“He's never going to change,” Oikawa sighed fondly. 

“He's either going to end up creating something incredibly successful one day or landing his ass in jail.”

“Or both,” Oikawa offered. 

“Or both,” Bokuto confirmed. 

And with that, he moved to check the machines were running properly before making himself a drink.

Saturday mornings were pretty quiet at  _Coffee King_ , which was why there were only two employees working that shift. Well, only one who was really working because Oikawa had spent most of his morning sitting at one of the empty tables with a latte in one hand and his phone in the other, browsing what was new with everyone he knew. His eyes shifted towards Bokuto every so often to make sure things were running smoothly but the other man wasn't having much trouble so other than that, Oikawa was left to waste time. 

The people who came in so early on Saturday were few thanks to the fact that most of their customers were students and the last thing any student wanted to do was voluntarily get out of bed on the weekend.

His hangover was starting to go away and his mood had improved significantly but Oikawa's eyes still flashed to the door at the telltale chime every time it was opened. He was met with disappointment however, when anyone who walked in wasn't who he wanted to see. 

“I'm going to check the stocks,” he announced around 11. Oikawa paused for a confirmation before heading to the back room to do an inventory check. Their next delivery order was due by that afternoon so that it could get there for Monday on time and the last time Oikawa let anyone else other than him double check the stocks, they had ended up with way more chocolate syrup than they could ever want. 

It had taken a lot of marketing to make people want that much chocolate before the syrup expired, but somehow they pulled it off. That had been the very last time Oikawa didn't do the ordering himself.

He didn't particularly want to count inventory, but he didn't have a choice. It was menial either way and within moments, Oikawa was mindlessly ticking things off his clipboard and running numbers through his head. He almost got lost in the task…  _almost_. Only when he heard a shout from within the store and Bokuto's panicked voice seeping in did Oikawa realize where he was and within moments he was back in the front. 

The first thing he noticed was that Bokuto was leaning across the counter, dabbing furiously at a customer's front. The second thing Oikawa noticed was that it wasn't just  _any_  customer, but the stranger Oikawa had been so looking forward to seeing since he first laid eyes on him on Monday. 

He felt his face light up in glee but it was cut short at the realization that the stranger's front was absolutely  _soaked_  in coffee. It was then that horror overcame his short-lived happiness and Oikawa rushed towards the counter, face pale and fingers trembling; he could feel sweat start to seep into his palms but he rubbed his hands against his apron to no avail.

“I am so sorry man, I can't believe I did that. Please don't tell my boss,” Bokuto whispered far too loudly, unaware of Oikawa’s figure right behind him. 

“Don't tell your boss,  _what_?” Oikawa narrowed his eyes. Bokuto moved aside, whimpering slightly and it was then that Oikawa noticed that the coffee Bokuto had spilled on the guy had been piping hot. His anger at Bokuto’s clumsiness was forgotten when he noticed the red patches that were starting to line the man’s collarbones. Oikawa felt his throat go dry. He had never been more embarrassed before in his life and this time, it wasn’t even of his own doing. “Get some ice,” he motioned to Bokuto.

“It's okay, I'm fine really,” the handsome stranger in question insisted, but Bokuto had already turned away, thankful to get away from Oikawa. “I've spilled coffee on myself before. It's no big deal,” he smiled. If Oikawa wasn't so concerned about how bad this looked, he would have relished in the dimples that had appeared on the man's face.

Oh who was he kidding? Oikawa still let himself get distracted by the way the skin in his cheeks caved in and accentuated the man’s smile.  

“I am so sorry, he didn't mean it,” Oikawa covered for Bokuto. “He's a good barista, sometimes a klutz but not usually. I'm sorry you ended up with coffee on you. Let me make you a new one. On the house,” he insisted. 

“Sure, but don't go too hard on the guy,” the stranger laughed. Oikawa felt his heart clench and unclench at the sight of those wonderful dimples again. “Accidents happen; I can sympathize,” he assured.

God, he was so nice, too? The list of redeeming qualities was never ending for this guy. Oikawa wasn't sure whether to weep with happiness that such an amazing person existed or weep in misery that he didn't know more about him. 

His eyes lit up when he realized that he could ask for a name this time. But before Oikawa could ask his question, Bokuto ran back with ice and a clean shirt in hand. 

“Here,” he handed to the man. “I feel really bad for ruining your shirt so please take one of mine. We seem to be around the same size,” he motioned between them. 

“Are you sure?” the stranger asked nervously. 

“I insist. I promise it's clean,” Bokuto waved the items in his hand insistently.

“Thanks man,” he nodded towards Bokuto, accepting the clean shirt and the ice. He looked towards Oikawa with that nice smile again before something crossed his face and his smile was replaced by a frown. He looked down at his watch and cursed. “Shit, I'm late for a meeting. I think I'll leave the coffee for another time,” he said hurriedly. He didn’t even give Oikawa a chance to protest as he headed out the door.

Oikawa sighed, watching his back disappear. It was kind of mesmerizing seeing the muscles at work even hidden beneath his clothes. But the distraction of the stranger's unfairly attractive _everything_  wasn't enough to deter Oikawa from unleashing his wrath on Bokuto. The moment the man’s back was out of sight, Oikawa turned his full attention towards Bokuto, who was cowering beneath the glare.

“ _Don't tell my boss_ ,” he quoted angrily. Bokuto whimpered under the intensity of Oikawa’s words. “So what, you were going to let him leave and  _not_  tell me he was here to cover your own fuck-up?" Oikawa narrowed his eyes. 

“Would saying I'm sorry help?” Bokuto asked meekly. 

“No,” Oikawa snapped. “But you know what, I could have looked past that had I gotten his name. Except you ruined that too by coming in right when I was about to ask!” Oikawa yelled. 

They were lucky the only customer in the store was sitting with his headphones around his ears, music turned up so high that Oikawa could hear it from his place behind the counter. He knew it wasn't Bokuto's fault and he was being a bit unprofessional but having let the man go  _two times_  now without even so much as a name was taking its toll on Oikawa. He was never this bad at getting to know someone; he had never had so much trouble remembering just what to do, what to  _say_  around another person before.

The change of pace was difficult to adjust to and the truth was, Oikawa didn’t want to adjust to it. He didn’t think he had to.

So then why was it becoming such a problem for him to get one damn name?

“I’m sorry,” Bokuto said dejectedly. “I really didn’t mean to embarrass you. I was actually trying to show him the new mixed blend coffee you made the other day so I could talk you up and then have a reason to call you back without it looking suspicious but I got too excited and tripped over my own feet,” he explained sadly.

Oikawa felt his lips twitch, hands uncrossing to hang loosely by his side. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. Bokuto looked at him with a pout and Oikawa couldn’t handle it anymore. Staying angry with Bokuto took too much energy and if his explanation was anything to go by, he really hadn’t meant any harm. How was he supposed to stay pissed when all Bokuto was trying to do was be a good friend?

Even if his way of going about it was skewed.

“It’s fine,” he answered eventually. Bokuto sprang up at the declaration and wrapped himself around Oikawa. “He’s never going to come back here again, is he?” Oikawa asked sadly, leaning into Bokuto’s hug.

“Hey, you don’t know that. He did say  _another time_ , so he might.”

“That’s just something people say to be polite. I bet he couldn’t wait to get out of here.”

“You’re a great catch, Oikawa. If he doesn’t come back then he’s an idiot,” Bokuto nodded, tightening his embrace around Oikawa.

“Thanks, I guess,” Oikawa accepted the compliment, even if Bokuto was only saying it to get back on his good side.

The truth was, Bokuto was always on his good side; Oikawa would never stoop so low as to let a crush based on an attraction get in the way of his friendships. All the same, he couldn’t help but watch the door with an almost reminiscent expression, wondering if he’d get to see the front and not just the back of that man again.

Or if he’d ever get his damn name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is pretty standard knowledge but as a future scientist, I am obliged to say this anyway: pls do not take chemicals from the lab without permission and pls dispose of your hazardous waste properly. Kuroo is one of my favs and the chem-loving side of me is super pleased that he's a chemistry nerd haha.
> 
> next time:  
> \- Kuroo comes in clutch  
> \- Oikawa gets a name (kind of)
> 
> thanks for reading! your comments and kudos mean a lot me! ♥︎


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since it's Star Wars Day, in celebration of Oikawa who I believe is 100% a sci-fi dork and would love Star Wars, I'm posting this chapter early ^^

“So I see that you have a name,” Kuroo lifted up his right hand, “and a number,” followed by his left hand. “Oh wait, those are just my hands. You have neither of the things you so firmly decided you would get the next time you saw him,” he smirked.

Oikawa glared mid-way through making Kuroo’s drink. He was tempted to exchange the green tea base for chamomile but decided against wasting precious ingredients just to see Kuroo angry.

“What the fuck? No need to rub it in,” Oikawa glared, handing him his iced green tea. “And tell Bokuto I’m docking him pay. I can’t believe he told you about that,” Oikawa complained, wiping the ice machine with a lot more vigour than it required. He placed the dirty cloth in the sink, turning his attention back to Kuroo.

“That’s a violation of workers’ rights. Anyway, I can’t believe you _didn’t_ tell me,” Kuroo shot back, making himself comfortable against the stool he had occupied.

“See if I care,” Oikawa snapped, pointedly ignoring the second comment. He wasn’t actually going to dock Bokuto pay, but he _was_ a little ticked off that he had told Kuroo about seeing the stranger. “You know, this is all his fault. Did he also tell you that?”

“Of course he did. He told me all about how he dumped a piping hot cup of coffee all over your mystery man’s front and then let him take one of his shirts. If I didn’t know any better I’d say Bo was gunning for your guy,” Kuroo smirked unhelpfully.

“That’s neither funny nor is it true, and you know it,” Oikawa deadpanned. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at the thought. Kuroo was right: Bokuto had given the stranger his shirt, which was a kind gesture in retrospect but it didn’t make Oikawa’s petty heart feel any ease.

“Dude, relax,” Kuroo laughed when Oikawa’s eye twitched visibly. “I thought you knew it was a joke,” he placated.

“Why are you even here, Kuroo?” Oikawa asked, trying to ignore the wide grin on Kuroo’s face.

“Because lucky for you, I’m a much better friend than Bokuto is. Be prepared to owe me for the rest of this lifetime and every other one,” Kuroo explained dramatically.

“What are you on about?” Oikawa narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like the tone of voice Kuroo was using; it was unnerving and far too mysterious. Nothing good ever came out of Kuroo using _that_ tone. It was his, ‘I’ve got a plan’ voice and Oikawa had been on the accomplice end of that tone far more times than he’d have liked to be.

“Iwaizumi Hajime.”

“Huh?” Oikawa asked just as confused, if not more than earlier.

“That’s his name,” Kuroo continued.

“Whose name?”

“Your mystery man, who else? Iwaizumi Hajime. Look him up on social media if you don’t believe me,” Kuroo smirked at Oikawa’s gaping expression.

“No fucking way. How’d _you_ get his name? You haven’t even seen him! You’re _lying_ ,” Oikawa accused, but he pulled out his phone all the same and furiously typed the characters away, all while speaking. He almost dropped his device on the floor when the stranger’s handsome face appeared on his screen.

“Holy shit, it’s _him_ ,” Oikawa screeched, covering his face with his hands momentarily before composing himself and clicking on the display picture. “Fuck, look at those _arms_ ,” Oikawa cried, shoving the phone so close to Kuroo’s face that the other man had to back off his stool to avoid getting hit by it.

“I know, I already saw,” he waved Oikawa’s extended hand away from his face disinterestedly. He raised an eyebrow at Oikawa’s forgotten composure but otherwise remained quiet, letting Oikawa drool over his phone.

“Is it wrong of me to be so turned on by just a picture? You know what, don’t answer that, because if it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right,” Oikawa sighed, eyes glossing over.

He couldn’t help but take in every detail of Iwaizumi’s display picture; the way his eyes were closed in a crinkled smile, the way his hair was flopped across his head, matted with a slight bit of sweat. His eyes swept over the smidge of dirt on his left cheek that was accentuated by his adorable dimples, his sleeved rolled up to his shoulders that were exposing his incredibly toned arms and biceps, his broad chest in its full glory as he had one arm wrapped around the shoulder of an older man.

Oikawa guessed the older man in the picture was his father, if the striking resemblance was anything to go by. The picture seemed to have been taken in the summer given Iwaizumi’s slightly darker complexion.

“I’ve never been attracted to sweaty guys before but wow, he’s really pulling off that look,” Oikawa positively swooned.

“Gross, please keep your perverted thoughts to yourself,” Kuroo wrinkled his nose.

“Oh, please that’s nothing,” Oikawa waved airily, zooming into the picture. So maybe he was being a little stalkerish but he was deprived, _dammit_. He couldn’t help himself from gazing unabashedly at Iwaizumi’s attractive features. “The caption says something about his baby – I wonder if that’s his car,” Oikawa hummed aloud.

Kuroo raised his eyebrows disapprovingly. “And that’s important because?”

“Well I’ve never really been much of a fan of the idea of sex in a car but I’d let him fuck me in it, on it, against it, _whatever_ , any day,” Oikawa beamed.

“Well that escalated. Give me your phone; this was a bad idea,” Kuroo reached his hands out and flicked his fingers expectantly.

“No way!” Oikawa yelled, taking a step back. He had never been more thankful for the counter between them. Most days, Oikawa wished the space would disappear so it would be easier to wind Kuroo’s head in a headlock but today, he was grateful for the foot of space blocking him from Kuroo’s reach.

“Oh boo, his posts are private and only his display picture is visible,” Oikawa pouted when he flicked the screen to the left and was met with nothing new to stare at.

“Oh yeah, such a tragedy that he practices online awareness,” Kuroo rolled his eyes.

“It is for me,” Oikawa complained. Kuroo ignored the pout, opting to distract himself with his drink instead. “But I guess this picture will have to do for now.” He was met with a disbelieving snort from Kuroo, which he pointedly ignored.

“So how’d you get his name, anyway?” Oikawa asked, remembering how he had come to staring at a photo of Iwaizumi on his phone instead of working in the first place. He placed the phone back in his pocket, afraid that if he left it anywhere near Kuroo the other man might take it from him. If a picture was all he could get, then a picture was what he would take… for now anyway.

“He’s in Daichi’s classes. Same program, same year,” Kuroo shrugged, sipping his drink through the straw.

“So he’s a transfer student?”

“He must be if Daichi said he was new.”

“I’m grateful and all for you figuring out his name, but that doesn’t exactly explain how you knew it was _him_ ,” Oikawa prodded curiously.

“Well if you really must know, I took a stab at it. We saw him at the gym yesterday and Daichi just casually nodded his head in Iwaizumi’s direction and said ‘I think that guy’s new. He’s in all of my classes but I’ve never seen him before,’ which is what tipped me off. I asked him if he knew what his name was, he did, I looked him up and thought it could be him from your description,” Kuroo explained.

“You knew since _last night_ and you didn’t tell me until right now? It’s almost 7 pm so that makes it just about 24 hours you’ve withheld vital information from me,” Oikawa screeched.

“Why am I not surprised that the only important thing you got out of all of that was the part where I didn’t immediately tell you? I had plans last night, and a full day of classes today, you selfish bastard,” Kuroo defended.

“Fine, fine, you’re forgiven. Iwaizumi, huh? Nice name, although _Hajime_ sounds even nicer. Too bad we haven’t gotten to that stage yet,” Oikawa sighed, pulling out his phone once more.

“Dude, I don’t think you’ve even gotten to the _Iwaizumi_ stage yet,” Kuroo reminded. “It feels weird saying his name when he doesn’t even know we know it, doesn’t it?” he asked, but was met with silence. He looked up to see that Oikawa was positively _glowing_ at the picture on his screen.

“Oi, stop being a weirdo and whatever you do, don’t accidentally say his name until he tells you. You’re not supposed to know, remember?” Kuroo swiped at Oikawa’s hand.

“Ugh, I’m not an idiot,” he defended. “And will you quit reminding me of my failures?” Oikawa flicked Kuroo’s hand away. “I’ve very aware that I haven’t seen him since Saturday and I still haven’t gotten a name out of him,” he moped.

Kuroo laughed, much to Oikawa’s dismay. “Don’t look so put out. You know a bit about him so if it comes down to it, just go _accidentally_ run into him on campus or something. You have the excuse of knowing someone in his classes so it won’t look that strange.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Oikawa hummed thoughtfully.

“Just remember that I said _if it comes down to it_. Anyway, I’ve got to run. Kenma wants to go to some video animation convention,” he waved.

“Alright, have fun, enjoy your date,” Oikawa sighed, watching Kuroo leave the store with a wave. He figured he had slacked off enough and let the new hire, an adorable but shy first-year named Yachi, handle taking on the customers for long enough. Evenings only got busy once the school year was back at full capacity, but it was still only the second week. Oikawa supposed he could revel in the peacefulness of it for a little while longer.

“You can go home early if you’d like, Yacchan. Suga should be coming in any minute now, and there aren’t very many people here so I can handle it,” he smiled.

“Oh, thank you Oikawa-san! I’ll see you tomorrow!” she promised, smiling brightly. She took off the black apron, the teal accents around the pockets and the straps of fabric used to tie it behind her back flickering against her black slacks as she ran off towards the employee room.

Oikawa watched her go fondly. She had only been working since Sunday, but she was bright and excited about work, so that was something. Oikawa usually didn’t like it when first-years took on a job so early on in the year, especially when they weren’t settled into the routine of school or aware of the heavy workload that could pile up at any moment, but he was reminded of himself a little watching the younger girl. After all, he had jumped at the opportunity to work at _Coffee King_ in his first year so it would have been unfair of him to turn a biased eye against those in the very same shoes.

“OIKAWA!”

Oikawa jumped at the shout that was accompanied by a loud slam as the door was thrown open on its hinges. He was met with the flushed face of Suga, who apologized to the customers at the front before rushing over to the front.

“You’ll never believe what I found out!” he said excitedly, gripping Oikawa by the shoulders and pulling him in close. With the proximity, Oikawa could see Suga’s hair was parted wildly and a light sheen of sweat covered his forehead. It looked like he had run here.

Oikawa pulled away from his grip, smoothing out the wrinkles in the sleeves of his white, collared work shirt. “Iwaizumi Hajime,” he responded easily, satisfied with the way Suga’s jaw dropped open at the answer.

“How did you know what I was going to say? Never mind that, how did you find out his name? Did you see him again? I can’t believe you didn’t _tell me_!” Suga huffed.

“I did not see him again, unfortunately,” Oikawa said pointedly. “But Kuroo did some snooping. Turns out he’s in Daichi’s program but I’m guessing that’s how you knew too.”

“That fucker,” Suga swore. “I can’t believe he got the jump on me. And here I was thinking that I’d solved the mystery and you’d owe me for the rest of your life,” Suga sighed.

“Sorry babe, I already owe Kuroo and not just this lifetime but apparently in every life,” Oikawa laughed. It was moments like these that Oikawa was reminded of how great his friends really were. He couldn’t believe Suga had come in looking so dishevelled just because he wanted to tell Oikawa a possible name. The thought made his heart swell until he felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.

“If it’s any consolation, you’re still the better friend. He knew since last night and didn’t tell me till about ten minutes ago,” Oikawa added.

“Obviously I’m the better friend,” Suga said factually. All the same, he smiled widely at the proclamation. “I’m going to go change and make myself look presentable. Is Yachi still here?” he asked looking around.

“No, I think she left through the back door. I let her go only a few moments before you came in.”

“Oh boo, I was looking forward to seeing her again. She’s so adorable, I just want to hug her and adopt her as my little sister,” Suga cooed.

“Don’t scare her off,” Oikawa laughed, but he could sympathize.

“Yeah, yeah, I’d never. Alright, be back in a few,” Suga promised before he slipped into the employee room.

Oikawa smiled, hand reaching for his phone again for one reason, and one reason only. Before Oikawa could let himself be pulled into the clutches of that rabbit hole he knew he wasn’t going to come out of, the bell chimed. Oikawa’s face twitched – but whether it was in relief for having a reason to not look at that one picture of Iwaizumi on his phone or whether it was in disappointment for that very same reason was still beyond him.

All the same, he moved towards the cash register to ring up the new orders.

A few minutes later, Suga came out to help him. Oikawa didn’t mind working the first shift of the day – his terrible sleeping schedule turned out to be an asset in that case – but if he was being honest, his favourite shift was the closing one. It was the calmest, and while it didn’t come with the set routine that the morning shift came with, it still had its perks.

Ignoring the strange people that tended to walk in at the later hours, the only people who were left during closing time were students who were still busy at work. It was soothing and calming; just the thing Oikawa needed before bed. And they were often polite too, leaving when they were asked to without so much as a complaint.

When it neared 11 pm, the only thing Oikawa had to deal with most days was making sure the store was clean for the early open the next day.

So when he heard the familiar chime of the door, he frowned. “I’m sorry but we’re closed,” he called over his shoulder, putting the wet cloth in his hands aside to see who it was that had come in so late. When he turned around, his jaw very nearly dropped open, but he caught himself at the last minute.

It was none other than Iwaizumi Hajime standing with one foot inside the store and one foot outside, looking slightly embarrassed and hesitant. “Ah yeah, that’s my bad. I should have read the sign,” he apologized, moving back.

“Wait!” Oikawa called before he could stop himself. He didn’t know what he wanted to say but he couldn’t let Iwaizumi walk away _again_ without some kind of confirmation that he would see him again. He was aware of Suga’s eyes boring holes into his back from his place near the booths; Oikawa knew what Suga wanted him to do, Oikawa knew what _he_ wanted him to do, but once the initial ‘wait’ had been out of his mouth, he found his brain had suddenly stopped functioning.

“Uhm,” Iwaizumi answered, bringing Oikawa back to the reality of it all. He had stepped inside the store now, still looking as sheepish as ever, with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his dark jeans. Oikawa noticed he was still sporting a t-shirt (black this time) but now, he had on a light bomber jacket, which made his already broad shoulders look even broader, the way the black jacket flowed with the black t-shirt underneath.

He looked good, _really_ good.

Oikawa wasn’t sure he was going to come out of this alive anymore. Somehow though, his brain started functioning enough to make him realize if there were a longer silence between them, things would get awkward.

“I’m sorry,” he offered hesitantly.

Iwaizumi looked at him with an amused smile. “What are you apologizing for?”

“I’d make you a drink right now but we already turned off the machines and cleaned everything,” Oikawa explained, unsure why he was even telling him that. The way that Iwaizumi’s face crinkled in a soft smile however had Oikawa mentally cheering because apparently that was the right thing to say.

“That’s alright, I’ll come back another time,” he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

“Tomorrow,” Oikawa said suddenly, surprising even himself.

“Pardon?”

“Come back tomorrow,” Oikawa cleared his throat. He was suddenly feeling short on air and his words sounded clipped off at the end. “I still owe you a free drink, remember?” Oikawa smiled hesitantly.

“Yeah, alright,” Iwaizumi nodded thoughtfully, as if the idea of coming back tomorrow hadn’t occurred to him until Oikawa suggested it. “I’ll come by tomorrow. See you then,” he let his eyes flick down to the nametag pinned on Oikawa’s chest, “Oikawa.” And with that, he turned around and headed out the door.

The moment Iwaizumi had called his name Oikawa felt like his heart had stopped beating. He wasn’t sure what breathing even was anymore. Only when Suga placed a comforting hand on his shoulder was Oikawa reminded of just _why_ he was feeling the way he was.

“Suga,” Oikawa sighed sadly.

“Hmm?” Suga answered, trying to hold back a laugh.

“You have to tell Daichi to befriend him. I apparently don’t know how to ask someone for their name anymore and if I don’t have a reason to know his soon, I’m going to accidentally blurt it out. Please, tell Daichi to befriend him and I’ll do whatever you want. Screw Kuroo, I’m ready to sell you my soul,” Oikawa begged dramatically.

“Oh sweetie, you did fine. I’m actually quite impressed with the fact that you managed to ask him to come back tomorrow. That’s progress if I ever saw any,” he comforted.

Oikawa whimpered. “I’ve met my match, apparently,” he sighed, feeling defeated. Although there was a part of him that was turned on by the fact that Iwaizumi could blow him away with just a smile.

“You know, it’s actually kind of a refreshing change of pace,” Suga hummed. “Maybe not for you, but it reassures all us mere mortals that if Oikawa Tooru can be stumped by a person’s appearance then anyone can,” he laughed, dodging the hand Oikawa threw in his direction.

“That’s not funny. You’re a terrible friend,” Oikawa whined.

“And yet, you still need me to sweet talk Daichi,” he hummed knowingly.

Oikawa’s lips twitched as he thought his words over carefully. In the end, he decided that complaining about his friends wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He could deal with a little bit ( _or a lot_ ) of teasing if it earned him the outcome he so desired in the end.

“I take back what I said earlier. You’re a great friend,” he said with a practiced smile.

“So fickle,” Suga chuckled, but it turned into a full on laugh when he noticed the sulky pout on Oikawa’s face. “I’m just teasing you. But if that’s what you want me to do, I will. Talk to Daichi that is,” he confirmed.

“I…” Oikawa paused. “Yeah, I’m going to need all the help I can get with this one,” he sighed sadly. He hated to admit it, but he wasn’t sure he could do this on his own anymore. But what were friends for if they didn’t help you out with your crushes?

“Hey, don’t give me that look. You’ll see him tomorrow, and you’ve got plenty of time to practice how you’ll ask for a name this time so you’ll be prepared,” Suga smiled, squeezing his shoulder lightly. “Now come on, it’s getting late and I’m working early tomorrow,” he ordered, pushing a wet cloth back in Oikawa’s hands.

Oikawa accepted the cloth, returning to what he was doing before Iwaizumi walked in. But he’d be lying if he said the task at hand had his full attention. Suga was right; he did have time to prepare, and this time, _definitely this time_ , he was going to get Iwaizumi’s name from his own mouth even if it was the very last thing he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ngl, this was probably one of my fav chapters to write. I love Kuroo and Oikawa together (my salt duo!!) and I feel like they would be great friends.
> 
> inspiration for Oikawa's thirst: the group chat I have with my friends called "The Sun" bc the thirst is too real in there haha (*´∀`*)
> 
> next time:  
> \- Oikawa gets a name, a number, and maybe something else  
> \- Iwa-chan is v v hot and Oikawa doesn't know what to do w/ himself
> 
> thanks for all the support so far, I love seeing your comments and kudos! depending on the feedback this gets, I'm thinking of posting the next chapter on Monday with chapter 5 on Friday just bc I feel like this was an unfair ending on my part *hides*


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I COME BEARING GIFTS. I am so sorry for that cliffhanger in the last chapter but look at my boy, Tooru, I'm so proud of him in this chapter and I hope you will be too. ♥︎

Oikawa would never have used the word _desperate_ to describe himself. Ever. Except he was learning that one Iwaizumi Hajime could turn him into something he didn’t think he would turn into in a million years.

He hated that word; it was ugly and made him sound like someone who wasn’t worth it, but Oikawa liked to think that he _was_ worth it. He was very aware of his good looks, and while some people thought his personality was overbearing, it wasn’t exactly _terrible_. Maybe he was biased but he had enough friends who actually seemed to care about him so he was inclined to believe that he was a great catch. He was smart; he had his future planned out and a promising career in management.

So why he had stooped to the point of feeling _desperate_ was beyond him.

But besides that, apparently Iwaizumi could turn Oikawa into an idiot as well. He had come home a little before midnight, pleased to let Kuroo know that he had run into Iwaizumi again at the store and had secured a meeting with him the next day, only to be met with a blunt ‘Did he tell you his name?’ followed by a ‘When exactly tomorrow?’

It was then that Oikawa realized the following day was a Wednesday and he couldn’t very well spend his whole day at _Coffee King_ in the hopes that Iwaizumi would show up because he had classes.

He was an idiot, in every sense that wasn’t academic, because how could he have forgotten something so important? Which was how he found himself tossing and turning all night until about 5 am, at which point he kicked off his blankets and decided to get ready for the day.

If he couldn’t sleep then he would make sure he looked so great that the next time Iwaizumi saw him he would be completely blown away.

Oikawa was lucky that despite having terrible sleeping habits, the bags under his eyes were minimal and the under eye circles weren’t large so they were easy enough to cover up. Still, that didn’t stop him from scrutinizing every last bit of his appearance as he tried to find any fault.

He was being far too nitpicky, and he wasn’t even sure if Iwaizumi would be standing close enough to notice any of the imperfections, but if Oikawa could see them then they had to go. Besides, it was a way to distract him from the realization that he was going to see Iwaizumi today… hopefully. That reminded him that he needed to figure out just how to narrow down the time frame.

**To Suga:**  
what time does Daichi have class today?

He got a response within moments. Lucky for him, Suga was awake and already at work.

**From Suga:**  
first class is at 9 but he doesn’t end till 4.  
full day with not much of a chance for breaks in between.

 **To Suga:**  
ty (づ￣ ³￣)づ

So his best chance was before 9 am or after 4 pm. Unfortunately for Oikawa, his first class of the day was at 8 am, so the best he could do was wish on every deity out there that Iwaizumi didn’t decide to come in then. If Oikawa missed his chance _again_ , he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to stop himself from doing something stupid like walking into one of Iwaizumi’s lectures and plopping down right next to him.

Or maybe on him.

Oikawa shook the thought from his mind, trying to think of anything else other than what it would feel like to sit on Iwaizumi’s thighs. They looked firm, Oikawa had decided as he stared at the picture again when he couldn’t sleep earlier. Before he could let that train of thought take him down the path of no return, he decidedly put it away.

He wasn’t going to think about that right now. He was going to get his name, dammit, and then maybe let himself indulge in that fantasy.

But the name came first. He had some standards, at least.

It was with that thought that he got himself ready for the day. Oikawa knew he was going to be almost an hour early for class – it only took him 10 minutes max to make it to his first lecture hall – but he couldn’t sit around at home any longer. At least this way, he had the chance to run into Iwaizumi before class started.

He tested his luck by hovering inside the coffee shop until about 5 minutes before his class started, at which point Suga rushed him out and insisted that if Iwaizumi came in early, he would let Oikawa know and feign ignorance to the free coffee so he was forced to return at a time when Oikawa was working. The plan sounded too far-fetched and Oikawa had a feeling that if that happened, Iwaizumi might just take his chances elsewhere. But what other choice did Oikawa have?

After all, he did have class to get to, and while he was inclined to skip his first one of the day just for the chance to see Iwaizumi, Suga knew his schedule inside out and refused to let him stoop so low.

Oikawa would be lying if he said he could focus on his classes. He was too nervous, too _preoccupied_ with thoughts of one man and one man only. He kept checking his phone, messaging Suga who had a day off from school – damn him and his lucky schedule – but was met with a ‘ _focus on class!!!_ ’ every time.

That was much easier said than done. His notes were terrible and Oikawa wasn’t sure he had even learned a single thing his professors had been droning on about. Usually, he was very good at paying attention in class but today, his focus was nonexistent.

 _I don’t even know him, not really, and he’s already got me like this_ , Oikawa couldn’t help but think. The thought should have made him angry, but instead it just made him feel giddy. He was so in over his head and he had barely scratched the surface.

When his last lecture of the day ended at 2 pm, Oikawa packed his bag as quickly as possible and headed towards the coffee shop even though he knew Iwaizumi wouldn’t be able to make it there until at least 4 pm when his classes ended. Still, he was too jittery to sit around on campus and attempt to do some work until then, so he opted for settling himself inside the store.

Oikawa told himself he would get his work done and that it would be easier since he was already there, but that was a lie. His eyes kept peering over his laptop screen every time the door chimed, which happened a lot during the afternoon, making it absolutely impossible to focus on his school work.

At around 6 pm, when Oikawa’s shift was about to start, he sighed, pushing his belongings into his bag and headed towards the employee room to change. He had gotten absolutely nothing done in the 4 hours between the end of his last class and the beginning of his shift. He had barely eaten dinner, stomach too tense and coiled to allow for much digestion. Oikawa knew he was going to regret it later on during the night but for the time being his mind had other things to worry about.

Like how Iwaizumi still hadn’t come in yet.

“Do you think he’ll come?” Oikawa asked hesitantly between preparing drinks.

“I’m sure he will,” Suga responded easily.

“You have to say that, you’re my friend,” Oikawa pointed out.

“Then why’d you even ask me?” Suga chuckled lightly before adding, “He’ll come.”

Oikawa frowned. “You sound too confident. What do you know that I don’t?” he narrowed his eyes in his friend’s direction. Suga hummed, shrugging vaguely in response. Before Oikawa could pester him further however, the door swung open to reveal Daichi with Iwaizumi in tow. Oikawa whipped his head from the door towards Suga who had conveniently moved to the farthest cash register to ring up the new orders. Daichi greeted Oikawa with a smile and a nod before moving towards Suga’s queue. For a brief, panic-stricken moment, Oikawa thought that Iwaizumi was going to follow Daichi’s lead, but he took one look at Daichi then turned his attention towards Oikawa and walked straight towards him.

He smiled when he reached the counter, and Oikawa almost let out a choked whimper at the action. He caught himself though before that could happen, however he was very aware of how loudly his heart was beating in his chest.

“You came,” Oikawa smiled, voice coming out breathless. He hadn’t realized he hadn’t been breathing until he was suddenly met with a tight feeling in his lungs.

“I was promised a free drink. How could I resist?” Iwaizumi teased.

Oikawa knew he hadn't meant it like that but he couldn't help the disappointment from seeping into his words. “Oh.” 

“I mean, that's not all but it was a good bonus,” Iwaizumi cleared his throat nervously. Oikawa's eyes widened at the hint; a blush found its way to his cheeks but before he could comment, Iwaizumi was speaking again. “Actually, I'm surprised you remembered the offer. I for sure thought you'd have forgotten,” he admitted. 

“I always keep my word I'll have you know!” Oikawa said with mock offense. “And I have a pretty good memory,” he added. He wasn’t sure why he was telling Iwaizumi this but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

But apparently that was the right thing to say because he was rewarded by a small chuckle followed by a smile. Oikawa was certain his heart had stopped beating momentarily at the sight of his grin and those adorably caved in cheeks. 

“Anyway,” he cleared his throat. “What can I make for you?” he asked brightly.

“Uhm,” Iwaizumi started off nervously. “I’m not really much of a fancy coffee drinker,” he admitted. “I actually just ordered the first thing I saw the first time I came in here and didn’t exactly have a chance to order the last two times,” he laughed shakily.

Oikawa wasn’t sure whether or not to be appalled by his admittance to not drinking _fancy coffee_ – really, most of the stuff in the store couldn’t even be described as fancy but he’d leave that for another time. The other part of him was absolutely thrilled that Iwaizumi had come in despite the fact that long-named caffeinated drinks weren’t his thing – that meant there was another reason he had come in, right? Before he could think about what that was, Iwaizumi was speaking again.

“Oh hey, the guy who leant me his shirt was raving about something new that you made. I think I’ll try whatever that was,” he responded rummaging in his bag for something. “Speaking of, do you mind giving this back to him when you see him? Tell him it’s washed,” he explained, handing a bag across the counter to Oikawa. He could only assume Bokuto’s shirt was inside it.

“Uhm,” Oikawa took the bag, too shocked at the suddenness to really be able to wrap his mind around what was happening. Iwaizumi seemed to have mistaken Oikawa’s hesitance as something else however, as his face turned down in a frown.

“You didn’t fire him, right? I’d feel really bad if that happened because of me,” he said suddenly, face twisting slightly.

“ _What_? No, Bokuto’s still working here. Sorry I was just a little surprised,” Oikawa reassured. “Besides, I think if I fired him he’d just eat all my food and camp out on my couch until I hired him back,” Oikawa laughed.

The answer seemed to satisfy Iwaizumi. His face turned up and his eyes crinkled slightly in laughter. “I take it you’re friends?”

“Yeah,” Oikawa chuckled. “So, would you like your drink hot or iced?”

“You’ve really got to stop asking me questions I can’t answer,” Iwaizumi chortled nervously. Oikawa couldn’t help but light up at that. It was cute how Iwaizumi didn’t know much about coffee. His lips curved upwards, trying to hold back a laugh.

“Okay, since it’s warm out, I’m going to make the executive decision to make it iced,” he laughed, picking up a plastic cup. “Can I get a name for your drink?” Oikawa asked, hoping the words came out less shakily than he felt.

Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows and looked around him. All the other customers had been conveniently called over to Suga’s queue, which meant that Oikawa wouldn’t be able to mix his drink up with anyone else’s. Oikawa almost thought he was going to ignore the question when he saw him look around, but the next thing he new Iwaizumi was grinning and responding. “Iwaizumi.”

“Ah, that’s a mouthful,” Oikawa chirped, but he started scribbling on the cup in black ink all the same. Only when Iwaizumi got the cup back did he notice that Oikawa had shortened his name and added a little drawing of what he figured was a hedgehog next to it.

“Is that supposed to be me?” he laughed, ignoring the _Iwa-chan_ scribbled on his drink.

“Cute, right?” Oikawa asked happily. He was almost surprised by the confidence in his voice. He wasn’t sure why, but talking to Iwaizumi was easy, almost natural, if he ignored his furiously beating heart.

“Cute,” Iwaizumi agreed, eyes flicking between the drawing on his cup and Oikawa’s smiling face. There was a brief pause in conversation then, and Oikawa was very aware of how good Iwaizumi looked with a half-smile on his lips and slightly flushed cheeks. He was so close that Oikawa was tempted to reach out and touch his hair, but he realized how weird that might have been.

They stood like that for a few more seconds before Iwaizumi pulled back from the counter, breaking the silence. “Anyway I’ve got to go since I’ve got a quiz first thing in the morning tomorrow; perks of being an engineering student,” he laughed. “But it was nice meeting you. Thanks for the coffee, Oikawa.”

Oikawa couldn’t help but grin widely at the ‘ _it was nice meeting you_ ’ bit. His smile only grew when he realized Iwaizumi had greeted him properly, using his name just like last time. Something about the way he said it made Oikawa’s insides turn to mush.

But it wasn’t nearly enough. He had let Iwaizumi walk away three times before he had the courage to ask for a name and this time, Oikawa was going to go big. He was on a roll and he wasn’t sure when this bout of confidence would come back in the face of Iwaizumi Hajime. He figured he might as well throw all his cards on the table while he was at it.

“You’re new, right?” Oikawa asked suddenly, making Iwaizumi pause.

“Uh yeah, how’d you know?” Iwaizumi asked sheepishly, running a hand through his already spiky hair. The action was cute and almost made Oikawa forget what he was going to say.

“I’ve been working here for two years now and I’ve never seen you before. Plus, you came in with Daichi and he said something about a new student in his class,” Oikawa explained. Maybe he was stretching the truth a little but what did it matter _who_ Daichi had mentioned that to? Iwaizumi didn’t need to know the details of it.

“Oh, yeah,” he seemed to relax at the explanation. “You know Daichi?”

“Hmm, since high school. Rivals turned friends or something like that,” Oikawa said quickly. “Anyway, you should give me your number. If you’re new then there are probably things you don’t know about the school and the campus. You can ask me, uh I mean, you _should_ ask me since I’m more than happy to answer,” he rushed out.

He couldn’t believe he had said it. He couldn’t believe he had _asked for his number_. The moment between when Oikawa asked the question and when Iwaizumi answered felt too long. Oikawa was afraid he was going to say ‘no,’ – he was _certain_ Iwaizumi was going to say ‘no’ – but then he opened his mouth and said, “Yeah, sure. That’d be great actually,” and slid his phone across to Oikawa, like there had never been a doubt that that was what he was going to do.

Oikawa was so surprised by how smoothly that had went that he almost dropped his phone on the ground as his fingers shakily unlocked the device before sliding it towards Iwaizumi. He took Iwaizumi’s phone and quickly typed in his contact information before handing it back to the man across from him.

“See you around, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi called to him, before nodding in Daichi’s direction.

“Bye-bye, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa called back. Iwaizumi’s face was turned to the side, but Oikawa was certain he saw his lips twitch in an almost-smile at the nickname.

The moment Iwaizumi had turned out the door however, Oikawa picked up his phone and gazed happily at the ‘ _Iwaizumi Hajime_ ’ followed by his number on his screen. He tapped the name and edited it to ‘ _Iwa-chan_ ♥.’

Was he ashamed of getting ahead of himself? Hell, no. Not when he was on cloud 9 at having not only spoken to Iwaizumi but also having gotten his name, his number and a ‘ _see you around_.’ That was more than enough to satisfy him until they met again.

Iwaizumi sounded like he was busy, but Oikawa had his number now and he had a way of contacting him. The thought alone was enough to put a permanent smile on his face for the rest of the night.

And when he got home after his shift, he deemed he had waited a good amount of time before he pressed the ‘add’ button under Iwaizumi’s name on social media. He was rewarded with a notification a few minutes later informing him that Iwaizumi had accepted his friend request, which was how he found himself curled up in bed, phone glued to his face, browsing all of Iwaizumi’s pictures now that he had the means.

If Oikawa was being honest with himself, he knew it was wrong. But he couldn’t help it; not when he was met with the sight of Iwaizumi’s arms, exposed from his rolled up t-shirt in almost every picture. Oikawa didn’t even care if he was doing it on purpose or not because _damn_ , with arms like those, he had every right to show them off.

Somehow though, Oikawa had a feeling it was accidental. Something about the way Iwaizumi spoke and composed himself just screamed _humble_ , which just made him even hotter in Oikawa’s opinion.

God, Oikawa wanted nothing more than to run his hands over the smooth muscle of Iwaizumi’s arms. He looked strong, and that fact was turning him on. Oikawa didn’t even know how badly he had a thing for arms until he saw Iwaizumi’s perfect ones. He couldn’t help but let himself imagine what it would feel like to have the other man hold him up against a wall with those strong arms of his and fuck him senseless.

And great, he was hard now.

Oikawa could feel his erection straining against the front of his pants. He knew what he should have done was put his phone away, turn on his side and think of something other than Iwaizumi Hajime.

But knowing what to do and following through with the thought were two completely different things. Instead of doing the right thing, Oikawa closed his eyes and succumbed to the fantasy playing out in his head. He shifted slightly so that he could pull his pajama bottoms and boxers down low enough on his hips for his cock to spring out.

It was already hard and leaking, a thought that would have embarrassed Oikawa was it not for the fact that he had left any shame he had at the door.

Speaking of _door_ , his eyes lingered briefly to his beat up one in his bedroom that wasn’t quite open but not quite closed either. Oikawa begged that his roommate didn’t come home while he was in the middle of this, aware that he wouldn’t be able to hide himself if Kuroo did.

He ignored the last bit of sense that his brain was holding on to and let his hand slip around himself. He bit back a moan as the image of Iwaizumi’s smiling face came into view and Oikawa imagined that it was Iwaizumi holding onto Oikawa instead of his own hand.

The thought had been a mistake – or maybe not – as it just caused more precum to ooze out of the slit, making his already slippery head even slipperier. Oikawa felt his hand shake hard as he tried to strengthen the grip on himself. He let his thumb slide across the slit, hissing from the pleasure the action brought with it before slowly sliding his hand up and down.

It had been too long since he had done this and even longer since he had someone else do this, but for now, Oikawa was content in imagining it was Iwaizumi’s strong, tan hand wrapped around his cock instead of his own pale one. He let himself get lost in the thought of what he would say if Iwaizumi really were here, what the _other man_ would say if he were the one jerking Oikawa off.

And just like that, he was picturing Iwaizumi towering above him, legs straddled on either side of his hips as he pumped Oikawa’s hard cock with purpose.

 _“Do you do this often; jerk yourself off to the thought of someone else?”_ Iwaizumi asked.

“No, _no_. Just you, Iwa-chan, I promise,” Oikawa couldn’t help but whimper back. He was speaking aloud now and he didn’t even care. He wouldn’t be able to hold back the words and the moans anymore even if he tried.

 _“Do you know how dirty you sound, moaning my name like that? Look at you, all hard and wet; turned on from just a picture,”_ he whispered in Oikawa’s ear.

Oikawa let his ear brush against the pillow, almost making it feel like Iwaizumi was there, even though he knew he wasn’t. But he could imagine that was the case and boy, did he let himself indulge on that thought.

He loosened his grip, pumping his hand all the way down to the base before tightening his hold and jerking back up quickly. The motion had him crying out – he wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to last.

 _“You look so hot like this Tooru; face flushed, matching the colour of your cock. I wish you could see how good you look,”_ he praised.

Oikawa whined aloud at that; it was too much for him to have Iwaizumi say those words to him, to have such a vivid vision of the man with his hand wrapped around Oikawa, jerking him off at a bruising pace. It was too much to be able to practically feel the way his words would sound, brushing against his ear. Oikawa could almost feel his strong arms, almost know what it would be like to touch them, hold on to them, _claw at them_ , all while Iwaizumi continued to run his tightened fist up and down.

And when Oikawa imagined what it would feel like to have all of that with the addition of Iwaizumi’s own cock thrusting into him, he could do nothing but come _hard_ against his own hand, vision going white from pleasure as he continued to ride out his orgasm.

It took him a few moments to compose himself, but when he did, the realization of what he had just done dawned on him and Oikawa had the decency to flush – even if he didn’t regret it one bit. He clambered out of bed, legs feeling a little too loose but somehow, he managed to make it to the bathroom to clean himself off.

He took in his dishevelled face in the mirror before whining aloud when he realized he was going to have to see Iwaizumi again and Oikawa was certain that the only thing he would be thinking of when that time came was what had just happened.

He couldn’t believe he had just jerked off, all while thinking about Iwaizumi Hajime.

He was so _screwed_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just... going to... hide myself... and take Oikawa w/ me *sweats* pls be gentle w/ us hahaha.
> 
> shout out to my beta who happened to be one of my friends in the library (from my story in the last chap). I've edited chapters 1 - 3 w/ her help so TY BBY ♥︎ 
> 
> ngl, I wasn't insanely happy w/ how the conversation b/w Iwa-chan and Oikawa turned out but I couldn't get it to work and jfdhkhj I'm a lot happier w/ the next few chapters so I hope it gives you something to look forward to! I'll be posting the next chapter on Friday so until then! possibly leave me a comment to let me know your thoughts? c:
> 
> next time:  
> \- Kuroo, Oikawa and Bokuto are the ultimate brotp  
> \- Oikawa scores (kind of)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can I just say how grateful I am for all the support this story has gotten so far bc I am incredibly honoured and touched that I have this kind of a following rn. every single one of your comments, kudos, bookmarks, make me so incredibly happy that I cannot express into words how much I appreciate all of your support. (*´ω｀*) 
> 
> honestly, the comments from the last chapter had me laughing so hard and I love all of you for putting such a huge smile on my face. you all make my day and I seriously write this for you, so thank you so much to all of you!! ♥︎

“So I have a name,” Oikawa beamed happily, pointing to the name on his phone, “a number,” he scrolled down to reveal the digits, “ _and_ full access to all of his online photos,” he finished, changing tabs and pulling up Iwaizumi’s profile.

“Huh, so you went above and beyond. Only took you four tries but who’s counting?” Kuroo laughed. Despite his teasing tone, he looked impressed and pleased for his friend.

“I can’t believe you doubted me,” Oikawa said smugly, leaning into the couch.

“So how’d you do it?” Kuroo asked, tucking a cushion under his chin.

“Asked him like a normal person,” Oikawa responded airily.

“That’s a lie,” Bokuto’s voice called out from the kitchen. He had been rummaging through their cabinets and their fridge for about five minutes now; Oikawa didn’t know what was taking him so long but he didn’t want to leave his comfy spot to find out.

“How would you know that?” Oikawa snapped.

“Daichi,” Bokuto responded easily. “He said that you begged Suga to ask him to befriend Iwaizumi, which is why he ended up coming in when he knew you were working,” he explained, coming out into the living room with three bowls balanced on his arms.

“What do you mean that’s why he ended up coming in when I was working?” Oikawa narrowed his eyes.

“Exactly what I just said.” Bokuto frowned, like what he said hadn’t been clear enough. He pushed Oikawa’s legs aside to make room for himself between Oikawa and Kuroo. The couch was really only made for two and a half people, and not three grown men but somehow, that fact had evaded Bokuto; he was determined to make space for himself.

“First thing yesterday morning, Daichi introduced himself to Iwaizumi, sat next to him in all of their classes and stopped him from going near _Coffee King_ during their mid-day break because he knew you were in class.”

Oikawa wasn’t sure whether to be enraged because his friends were keeping things from him or thrilled that they had his back. He decided he would go for thrilled because in the end, it _had_ worked out in his favour, but that didn’t stop him from pouting and saying “I can’t believe everyone is talking about me behind my back.”

“Quit being an asshole,” Kuroo hit him upside the head, arm reaching out from around Bokuto. “You got _his name, his number and full access to all of his online photos_ ,” he quoted Oikawa, voice pitched at the end.

“I don’t even sound like that,” Oikawa bit back, rubbing his head because Kuroo didn’t know the strength of his own arms. “And that hurt, you dipshit,” he glowered.

“Sorry,” he apologized. Oikawa stuck his tongue out but dropped the subject otherwise.

He peered into the bowls that Bokuto had placed on the coffee table and picked through the snack mix for the pretzels. Kuroo hated it when he did that because he complained the flavours were all uneven, but Oikawa didn’t care. He didn’t like anything but the pretzels and Kuroo could whine all he wanted; Oikawa wasn’t going to budge.

“Who’s playing?” Bokuto asked, picking up the remote.

“F.C. Tokyo and JT Thunders,” Kuroo answered.

“And who are we rooting for?” Bokuto continued.

“Tokyo, duh,” Oikawa responded easily.

“Aren’t the Thunders the reigning Champions of the League though? And Tokyo in last place?” Bokuto frowned.

“What’s your point? Have you seen their ugly ass mascot? Besides, no one likes a powerhouse team. They take on too many international players; how are any of the Japanese nationals supposed to get a chance if they do that? It’s unfair if you ask me,” Oikawa glared.

“Ah, such a good patriot,” Kuroo laughed. “But I feel like the powerhouse team bit speaks more volumes,” he teased.

Oikawa shot him a dirty look, which had Kuroo putting his hands up in defense. But he didn’t say anything else, which Oikawa was grateful for. The last thing he wanted to do was think about high school and volleyball, which was sort of inevitable when he was watching a _volleyball_ game, but he didn’t need to be reminded of it so blatantly.

As much as volleyball brought Oikawa a kind of joy he wasn’t sure anything else would bring, it also brought with it a lot of sad memories. He had a good career, but it could have been better. It was cut short and while he still played recreationally, it wasn’t the same as standing against a team on a court with the eyes of hundreds of spectators all focused on him. Oikawa couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret every time he saw the familiar volleyball court on television. He longed to be on the other end of the screen more times than he could remember.

It was a thought that ended up pulling him to a dark place most of the time but he couldn’t tear himself away from the sport. It had been a part of his life for too long for him to give up on it just like that.

It could have been harmful to him to continue pining over a sport when it was his past and not his future but he had learned how to enjoy the game without being a part of it.

Sometimes though, he got into those moods that were troublesome and could potentially lead him back to his first days after his injury, which was why he usually watched games in Kuroo and Bokuto’s company. They knew what it was like to love volleyball as much as Oikawa did, and they knew how to stop his pitiful thoughts from taking over his mind.

Kuroo could have gone pro, but he decided against it in order to pursue a degree in academia. Bokuto on the other hand had accepted a sports scholarship and was currently on the Boys Varsity Volleyball Team at Keio. Oikawa would be lying if he said he wasn’t jealous of his friend, but he was also incredibly proud and nothing could replace that kind of emotion.

He was lucky though that he had formed a friendship with Bokuto. The other man was sometimes dense but he knew how to read Oikawa like the back of his hand. Once he had learned about Oikawa’s past with volleyball, he took to asking Oikawa to set for him, even going as far as inviting him to practice whenever he had the chance.

“Goddamn, this is the reason everyone shits on Tokyo, you idiot!” Kuroo shouted at the television, breaking Oikawa out of his reminiscent thoughts.

“What happened?” Oikawa asked. He realized his eyes had glossed over and he couldn’t remember a thing about the past ten minutes of the game.

“Weren’t you paying attention?” Kuroo narrowed his eyes knowingly. Oikawa flicked his hand flippantly, as if to say that he was over it and Kuroo didn’t have anything to worry about. Kuroo’s eyes softened at the gesture and he continued. “Fucking number seven just let through an easy block,” he jerked his thumb.

Oikawa bit back a laugh. Kuroo did always get overly worked up about any blocks he thought he could make. It was easier to make judgement calls when you had a birds eye view of the court, however Oikawa didn’t think him pointing it out was going to do anything except earn him a pillow to the face. Besides, he could sympathize. It did make him angry to see an easy play fall through, especially when it was from the team he was rooting for.

“Which one is he?” Oikawa asked instead.

“That lanky bastard from Sweden.”

“ _Hah_! I told you the Japanese players were better,” Oikawa said smugly.

“Careful, or people might think you’re an elitist,” Bokuto laughed. Kuroo didn’t bother replying, but he did tighten his grip on the cushion he had clutched to his chest. Oikawa took that as confirmation and stuck his tongue out at Bokuto childishly before bringing his attention back to the game in front of him.

 _Familiar_ , Oikawa couldn’t help but think.

It was familiar and comforting to have his friends around him. He may not have had the thrill of a real game anymore, but he could still very much enjoy volleyball from where he was if it meant doing it with his friends.

* * *

“ _Kuroo_ ,” Oikawa whined once Bokuto had left. The game had been good and F.C. Tokyo had played well, but not well enough. They still ended up losing and Oikawa was feeling a little bitter about the loss.

“We’ll get them next time,” Kuroo sighed, locking the door. It was reassuring to see he was just as putout as Oikawa was.

Oikawa _hated_ it when he lost and the team he was rooting for counted as _his_ loss. So sue him for being a sore loser: everyone was when it came to sports, and nothing anyone else said would convince him otherwise.

He wondered if Iwaizumi played sports, which only made him blush when he remembered just _what_ he had done the night before. He needed to get over the embarrassment otherwise he would never be able to look him in the eyes again, which was completely unacceptable.

Kuroo seemed to have read his mind, or noticed his blush because he raised his eyebrows disapprovingly. “Why are you blushing?”

“I’m not blushing,” Oikawa denied, turning away from the man and busying himself with washing up in the kitchen.

“ _Right_ ,” Kuroo drawled. He followed Oikawa into the kitchen, peering over his hidden face – damn him and his height advantage. “You’re definitely blushing,” he pointed out, arms crossed. “Come on, tell me what you did,” he prodded.

“It’s embarrassing,” Oikawa whined.

“So it’s about Iwaizumi, huh?” he asked knowingly. Oikawa pouted at the question. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he laughed.

“Promise not to judge me,” Oikawa asked hesitantly. He couldn’t believe he was even thinking about telling Kuroo. But he supposed that owning up to it would help him get over it, and he _needed_ to get over it. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at Iwaizumi’s photos again, which he _really_ wanted to do without getting all worked up and throwing his phone across the room.

Oikawa couldn’t imagine what it would feel like actually seeing the man in person again, or get a text from him. Neither of those things had happened, and under different circumstances, Oikawa would have felt putout by the fact but currently, he felt a bit of relief that Iwaizumi had kept his distance – even if it had only been a day.

“Alright, I promise,” Kuroo agreed. “Come on, spill your worries. The great Kuroo-sama is listening,” he beckoned.

Oikawa twisted his face down nervously, hands wringing against one another. “I may or may not have jerked off to the thought of him last night?” Oikawa blurted out quickly.

“Whoa, _back the fuck up_ ,” Kuroo gaped.

“I told you not to judge me!”

“I’m not judging. I’m just surprised is all,” Kuroo defended. Oikawa stomped his foot against the tiles childishly. But he did feel a little better at having gotten that off his chest. “So I guess you really like him,” Kuroo mused, trying to maintain a serious face, but the glint in his eyes gave away what he was really thinking.

“Yeah, I do,” Oikawa agreed wholeheartedly. There was no point in denying it after what he’d done last night anyway. “He’s really nice and I know I haven’t really spoken to him but yesterday when he came into the store, he was so charming and funny, and just easy to talk to, you know?” Oikawa asked.

“Hmm,” Kuroo agreed.

“And he’s smart! I mean, I thought Daichi was the only hot engineer but wow, Iwaizumi definitely gives him a run for his money – don’t tell Suga I said that – but he’s _really_ hot, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so good looking before.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Kuroo laughed, but didn’t interrupt otherwise.

“You know, he let me call him Iwa-chan. I swear he even smiled when I said that. I thought it would put him off but he looked sort of amused then happy, and I don’t know why but that just made me feel like a high schooler again with their first crush. Ugh, I’m so pathetic, I can’t believe I’m pining,” Oikawa complained.

“So then text him. You have his number, don’t you? What are you doing moping to me for when you’ve got that kind of ammo?” Kuroo asked.

“I…” Oikawa frowned, thinking over his words. “I want to, but I keep thinking about how much I like him every time and I kind of freeze up. Then I remember what happened the last time I had my phone and was thinking about him,” he blushed furiously.

Kuroo let out a chuckle at that, much to Oikawa’s chagrin.

“Hey, not judging, remember?” he reminded. He moved to dry the plates that Oikawa had just washed, eager to move the items out of Oikawa’s hand so he couldn’t accidentally chuck them at him in anger.

“You think I should text him?” Oikawa asked seriously.

“I’m not going to give you shitty advice when it comes to stuff like this,” Kuroo deadpanned. “ _Yes_ , I think you should text him,” he repeated more forcefully.

“What if he’s not into guys? I don’t think I could live with being only his friend. He’s too hot and I’m too smitten to let that happen,” Oikawa pointed out.

Kuroo gave him an unamused look in response, choosing to ignore Oikawa’s use of the word ‘smitten.’ “When have you let something like that ever stop you before? Remember that guy from the dorms in first year that you thought was cute and everyone told you he was straight, but you still went and asked him out anyway? We had solid _proof_ he wasn’t into guys and you didn’t give a shit,” Kuroo reminded.

“Why do you always have to bring up my failures?” Oikawa sulked. “And besides, I was drunk when I asked him out. At least he was nice about it,” he mused.

“And Iwaizumi is nice too,” Kuroo reminded. “Hey, I’m just repeating what you told me,” he added when Oikawa pouted at the proclamation.

“That’s not comforting. I don’t want Iwa-chan to be _nice_. I want him to _like me_ ,” Oikawa complained, nose wrinkling in frustration.

“Well you won’t know if you don’t try. Don’t be a wuss about it now. Go text him,” Kuroo urged, pushing Oikawa out of the kitchen.

“ _Now_?”

“Yes, _now_. Go before I take your phone while you’re sleeping and do it for you,” Kuroo threatened.

Oikawa paused before turning towards the couch to pick up his phone. “You know, I don’t know whether I should be grateful for a friend like you or distressed for the very same reason,” Oikawa remarked.

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too, you asshole,” Kuroo laughed.

Oikawa hid his smile, as he tucked his phone into his hands before heading towards his room. He swallowed the lump in his throat, breathing through his nose loudly a few times before pulling up Iwaizumi’s contact information and typing in a message. He didn’t give himself the chance to scrutinize the message, pressing send before he could stop himself.

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
how’d your quiz this morning go ?? (´・ω・｀)

The moment he pressed the send button however, he felt his heart speed up as his eyes scanned over the message. It was too late to take it back now but that didn’t stop Oikawa from pissing himself wondering whether the two question marks was too much or if he should have even sent the kaomoji.

He tossed his phone aside and picked up his laptop, looking over the guidelines on the essay he was supposed to be writing since it was due the next day. He couldn’t focus though because his eyes kept moving towards his phone that was sitting on his bed, screen facing up so that Oikawa could see it flash when he got a new message.

It had only been five minutes but Oikawa had checked his phone at least a dozen times already. He moved his laptop aside, picked the phone up to double check that he hadn’t missed the message – he hadn’t – before deciding to turn the ringer on as well.

God, how long was he going to have to wait? The thought hadn’t even left his mind when he heard a _ding_ and a small vibration indicating he had a new message. Oikawa felt his mouth go dry as he picked up his phone with shaky hands.

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
I thought I was the one supposed to be asking the questions? lol

Oikawa felt sweat seep into his palms when he read the words. Had he said the wrong thing then? He wasn’t given much of a chance to dwell on the thought however, when his phone buzzed in his hands again.

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
To answer your q though, it went fine. Well, actually, I think

Oikawa’s heart soared at the sight of the second message. That was ok, no that was _good_. It was something he could respond to at least and he was grateful that Iwaizumi hadn’t cut him off. He was even more grateful that the man was even talking to him.

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
v v smart I see Iwa-chan !

He was just thinking of what else he could send so that it didn’t sound like _he_ was cutting the conversation off, because that was the very last thing he wanted to do, when his phone buzzed again. He couldn’t believe Iwaizumi was texting him without being prompted. It made Oikawa feel giddy, but not as much as reading the next text did.

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
You weren’t lying about your good memory

Was that a _compliment_? Oikawa couldn’t help himself: he didn’t even bother to put his laptop back on his desk before he flopped against the bed, phone clutched in his fingers, rolling on the mattress in delight. He did a mental cheer before composing himself and sitting up against the headboard. All the nervousness that he had been feeling earlier was suddenly gone as he was reminded how easy it really was to talk to Iwaizumi.

Despite the fact that Oikawa felt like his face was on fire, he had no problem being himself around the other man, even when they were only talking through text.

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
I’d say yours is p good too considering you remembered that (*^▽^*)

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
lol thanks. Not working today?

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
nah I had the day off. but how’d you know ? I could have just been a bad employee and texting from work

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
I was just at the store a few minutes ago and I didn’t see you

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Besides, you don’t seem like a bad employee

That was _two_ compliments he had gotten from Iwaizumi now. Oikawa wasn’t sure whether to believe his luck or not, but who was he to question it? He also couldn’t help but wonder if Iwaizumi had gone to the store to see him. The way he had brought it up could have just been a way to keep the conversation going, but a small part of him hoped that Iwaizumi had said those words with a bit of disappointment.

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
if I didn’t know any better I’d say that you were buttering me up for more free coffee hehe

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Did it work?

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
(That was a joke btw)

Oikawa laughed at the message in brackets. He knew it was a joke but it made him smile to see Iwaizumi tell him as much.

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Ok but I actually do have a question for you now that I think about it. What’s this Spring Festival that’s happening Saturday? Is that supposed to be Hanami or…?

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
oh kind of ! but the school likes to mix in the clubs festival along with it. there's supposed to be booths for entertainment and a stage for local bands. it’s a full day event and mostly families and first-years go. it's a bit of an orientation thing but it can be fun !

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
do you wanna go ??

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Uhm, I don’t know. That doesn’t sound like something that would be fun to go to alone

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
silly Iwa-chan I was asking if you wanna go w/ me~

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Are you sure? I don’t want to take you away from your plans

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
no plans ! and btw I asked you remember ?

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
so are we going ??

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Yeah, it sounds like fun

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
yaaaay I’m so excited~ o((*^▽^*))o

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Yeah, me too

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
I have to get back to my calculus assignment though. Do you work tomorrow? I can come by if you are and we can talk details then. It’ll be easier in person than over text

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
yep !! I’m working 4 – 7 tomorrow does that work ?

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Yeah, it does. I’ll see you then

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
see you tmrw Iwa-chan. goodnight and good luck !! don’t study too hard (。^_・)ノ

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
I’ll try not to. Night, Oikawa :)

Oikawa couldn’t help but beam at the last message. He had said ‘night’ and even attached a smiley face to it. It was nothing like Oikawa’s unnecessarily detailed emojis but it made his heart flutter all the same. And he had _plans_! Not only was he going to see Iwaizumi tomorrow so that they could work out their plans for the next day but he would be spending what was hopefully the entirety of Saturday with him as well.

Oikawa couldn’t believe his luck. He couldn’t believe he had managed to _not chicken out_. The question about wanting to go to the festival was typed out and sent before he could even think about what he was doing but he wasn’t even given a moment to panic about it as he got the reply he so desired within seconds. He leaned back down against his bed and pulled the pillow over his face, squealing loudly underneath it.

He was so happy that nothing could ruin his good mood. Not the looming deadline for his essay that was due tomorrow by noon and certainly not Kuroo’s face popping into his room to yell at him to ‘ _quit squealing like a dying cat_.’

Nope, he was feeling absolutely _ecstatic_ and nothing could bring him down from that high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa has such great friends who are so supportive and my inspiration for their wonderful bond comes from my own group of friends c: 
> 
> CAN YOU BELIEVE HE ASKED HIM? tbf it's so much easier to text people rather than speak to them in person... but I'm still proud of my baby c:
> 
> also, I was asked to describe the cafe uniforms and I _tried_ to do that in chapter 3 but I am sure I did a terrible job at it. anyway, the style is like [this](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1eE0UKXXXXXccXVXXq6xXFXXXW/fall-winter-overalls-long-sleeve-waiter-work-clothing-Cafe-shop-fashion-hotel-uniforms-femininas-waterproof-shirts.jpg) except the pants are black and the olive green apron is also black. and imagine the dark brown accents as a teal colour, kind of like the Seijou uniform one but a little bit bluer and less green. 
> 
> next time:  
> \- Iwa-chan is a gentleman  
> \- Oikawa makes a bold-ish move
> 
> your comments and kudos are always appreciated! ♡


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter! ^^

Iwaizumi came over to _Coffee King_ just like he promised he would the next day, much to Oikawa’s delight and his friends’ shock. Bokuto almost dropped the order he was working on when he noticed Iwaizumi walk into the store and head directly for Oikawa. Suga actually let out a squeal, which he covered up with a cough. It caught Iwaizumi’s attention briefly but he didn’t say anything if he acknowledged it as odd. Instead, he turned towards Oikawa and waved shyly.

Oikawa was so pleased at seeing the other man again that he didn’t even care that his friends were embarrassing him.

“Iwa-chan, hi,” Oikawa called, moving from behind the counter to greet him properly.

“Hey Oikawa,” he smiled back. It wasn’t his full-fledged grin that had the dimples, but it was cute and made Oikawa’s heart speed up all the same. “When’s your break? Sorry, I should have texted you and asked that before I came,” he apologized.

Oikawa shook his head quickly. “No, no, I can take my break now,” he looked down the length of the store to see Suga nod and move towards his place. Oikawa smiled again before gesturing towards an empty table for them to sit at, conveniently located as far away from his nosy friends as possible.

There was a slight bounce in his step, and a smug expression on his face when he turned around and noticed Bokuto’s gaping face. Iwaizumi was too busy walking towards the table to have noticed, thankfully. Oikawa figured he was going to get chewed out for not telling his friends about it sooner, but by the time he had finished his essay last night, it was nearing 3 am and he didn’t think anyone would be up then. He was going to tell them when he saw them today but he… forgot.

That was a lie – he hadn’t forgotten at all. He really wanted to tell them but there was a small part of him that doubted any of the conversation between him and Iwaizumi had been real, even though when Oikawa checked his phone before going to bed early that morning, then when he woke up and again during every lecture of the day, the texts were right there in front of him. It still didn’t stop the doubt from seeping in and making him question whether Iwaizumi would actually show up.

It was only the fear of getting ditched that prevented Oikawa from saying anything to anyone, even Kuroo who he had promptly ignored that morning by sleeping in.

But he had nothing to worry about. Iwaizumi was here, just like he had promised. Oikawa hadn’t realized the weight that had been sitting on his shoulders until he suddenly felt lighter than he had in a long time.

“Do you want anything to drink? Or eat?” Oikawa asked, gesturing towards the front.

“Nah, that’s okay, I have to get back to campus again soon. I have a tutorial at six but I wanted to come by and see you before then since it won’t end until seven and I didn’t want to make you wait for me when your shift ended,” Iwaizumi explained.

Oikawa felt his heart threaten to leap out of his chest.

_‘I wanted to come by and see you.’_

He knew the words hadn’t been meant the same way as if he had been the one to say them to Iwaizumi, but Oikawa could hope for it all the same. It didn’t stop his mind from repeating the words over and over again either.

“You have class so late, and on a Friday too!” Oikawa gaped, realizing that Iwaizumi had said that he had a tutorial at _six_. That sounded way too unfair, and Oikawa couldn’t help but feel offended for the other man.

“Yeah, it kind of sucks,” he admitted, chuckling lightly. “But I’m used to the crazy schedules by now; third year and all,” he waved off. “Plus, I don’t really have many classes in the morning on Fridays so I use that time to finish any assignments I have so that my weekends are less busy,” he explained.

“You spent all your free time working on assignments?” Oikawa asked a little surprised. He wasn’t sure whether to be impressed by Iwaizumi’s work ethic or a little incredulous that someone could spend so much time doing schoolwork. Either way, it did nothing but make Iwaizumi more extraordinary in Oikawa’s eyes.

“Er, yeah,” Iwaizumi admitted sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his neck slowly, and Oikawa caught a hint of pink dusting his cheeks. _Cute_ , he couldn’t help but think.

He stifled the chuckle that came with the thought and said, “You must be really looking forward to tomorrow then,” before he could stop himself.

Oikawa wasn’t given the chance to regret the words because he was met with a very serious, “I am,” which put an end to any panicky thoughts that could fester. Still, his heart raced faster and he stuttered slightly before he could compose himself.

“Me too,” he agreed with a small smile, which was returned wholeheartedly by Iwaizumi. “So, tomorrow. The festival starts at 9 am but the cherry blossom viewing isn’t until about noon – that’s when they open up the picnic area to everyone but a line usually forms before then. Oh the food stalls will open at around 11 am so we can grab food before or after; I’m assuming you want to see the cherry blossoms at least,” Oikawa paused. When Iwaizumi nodded, he grinned brightly and continued.

“Great! The clubs usually start setting up their own booths between 1 pm and 2 pm, which is also when the outside vendors will start to set up. I’m not a big fan of any of the bands that are usually playing but apparently this year we’ve got a good school one, if you want to see that, although they won’t be performing till about 8 pm. I haven’t been to the Spring Festival since first year, so my guesses might be a little off,” Oikawa admitted.

“That’s fine. How about we aim to get there for noon so we can watch the cherry blossoms for a bit then grab lunch and look around? I don’t mind staying for the band; it’s been a while since I’ve been to a concert, even a local one anyway,” he smiled.

Oikawa couldn’t believe he had a solid eight hours to spend in Iwaizumi’s company and the other man was going along with it so smoothly.

He nodded his approval. “Hmm, sounds like a plan.”

“Do you want to meet at the festival gates, or?” Iwaizumi asked, making Oikawa’s fingers sweat at the thought.

“Where do you live?” he asked, hoping it didn’t sound as forward as it felt coming out of his mouth.

“About two blocks south of here. In that apartment complex near the large dog park,” Iwaizumi answered easily, much to Oikawa’s joy.

“Oh, I live that way too, but I’m in the complex closer to the store. Since we’ll be taking the same route, do you want to come by my apartment and we can walk to the school together from there? It’ll be easier than trying to find one another in a crowd,” Oikawa asked. He hoped Iwaizumi wasn’t put off by the question; they had only met properly two days ago and had only texted each other _once_ since then.

_But you already jerked off to him so I’d say you’re close enough to ask him that._

Oikawa felt a sudden rush of heat take over his entire body at the thought. _Dammit_ , he was hoping he wouldn’t remember that but his brain had other plans. He could _feel_ the redness on his face and could actually see it starting to extend down his pale fingers.

“Yeah, that works,” Iwaizumi agreed. “Hey, are you okay?” he frowned, gesturing towards Oikawa’s face vaguely.

“Uh-huh,” Oikawa nodded furiously. “I’m fine. Probably just a mild allergic reaction to something,” he lied. Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows worriedly but he didn’t question it.

“You should probably take something for that before it gets worse,” he instructed.

“Don’t worry about me, Iwa-chan.” He smiled and prayed that Iwaizumi would drop the subject, which he thankfully did, putting Oikawa’s mind at ease.

“Text me your address. I’ll meet you tomorrow,” he said, after a brief moment. He pushed his chair back and stood up then, waiting for Oikawa to do the same. Oikawa hastily mirrored the action, unsure what to do other than to agree and wave goodbye.

“I will,” he promised, watching Iwaizumi smile before exiting the store.

The moment he was gone, Oikawa slumped back down into the chair and buried his head in his hands. He groaned aloud, making some of the patrons around him stare but he didn’t care about the attention. They could stare all they wanted because nothing could stop Oikawa from wallowing in embarrassment.

He thought he had gotten over the whole _jerking off to Iwaizumi when he wasn’t even there_ thing when he hadn’t thought about it _at all_ while texting him last night but apparently talking to him in person was enough to remind Oikawa just _why_ he had done it in the first place. He firmly shook the thought from his mind though, because the last thing he needed was to get hard at work. He wouldn’t be able to hide it and he certainly didn’t want to take care of it in the store.

He may not have had many standards but he did still have _some_.

Seeing Iwaizumi again had only confirmed one thing: he was really _hot_ and Oikawa was really in over his head. It was easy enough to talk to him in the moment, but every time Oikawa saw him it was getting harder and harder to stop himself from blurting out something embarrassing.

He didn’t want to be just _friends_ with Iwaizumi but he didn’t want to scare the man off either. Just last Saturday he had been worried Iwaizumi was never going to come into the store again thanks to Bokuto’s accident and a week later, Oikawa had plans with him to _hang out_.

Or maybe it was a date.

He really wished for it to be one and it did sort of sound like a date. Plus they hadn’t said anything about inviting anyone else and Oikawa knew for a fact that Iwaizumi was now friends with Daichi so he could have done that if he wanted to.

So it was a date… right?

Or was it?

The thought made Oikawa shove his head further into his hands, as he collapsed against the table and groaned loudly once more. He pulled at his hair slightly, making the soft tufts stick up at the end, giving him a somewhat maniacal look.

“I’m not exactly sure what’s happening here, but wasn’t that just Iwaizumi? And wasn’t he here to talk to you?” Bokuto asked, poking Oikawa’s arm lightly.

“Yes,” Oikawa answered sullenly, lifting his head up to meet Bokuto’s golden eyes.

“Alright, so then why are you acting like _this_ ,” he gestured to Oikawa’s upper half lying across the table. “I thought that went well. He was smiling when he left,” Bokuto continued sounding far too confused.

Oikawa couldn’t blame him. It had looked good but the nervous thoughts that had taken over his brain were preventing him from feeling anything but self-conscious about it all.

“Because we have plans tomorrow,” Oikawa responded dully. He pushed his head back into the space between his arms and rubbed his head against his forearms, trying to get his brain to think of something else other than what he was supposed to do when tomorrow came.

“So you have a date? How’s that a bad thing?” Bokuto continued.

“That’s the thing,” Oikawa responded. “I’m not sure _if_ it’s a date. I mean, I did just sort of ask him out of the blue if he wanted to go to the Spring Festival but he was the one who brought it up. Except you know the first time I asked if he wanted to go he just thought I was asking in general, not to go _together_ so I doubt he thinks it’s a date.” He couldn’t stop the rush of words from tumbling out of his mouth, once he had started, much to Bokuto’s further confusion

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Bokuto waved his hands, motioning for Oikawa to stop talking. “I’m not quite sure I follow what you’re on about.”

“Here,” Oikawa shoved his phone into Bokuto’s hands. “Just read this and tell me you understand where I’m coming from,” he whined, watching Bokuto.

The barista took the device and scrolled through the texts, eyes going wide and laughing a couple of times. Oikawa wasn’t sure whether he was laughing _at_ Oikawa or whether it was because he was pleased with the outcome. Either way, he didn’t care; he just wanted Bokuto to finish the texts so he could listen to Oikawa complain in peace.

“Dude, that’s awesome!” Bokuto clapped his back.

That wasn’t the reaction Oikawa was going for.

“What do you mean that’s awesome? That’s _terrible_! I don’t know what this even means,” he said loudly, throwing his hands up in the air. The two girls sitting at the table next to him gave him an appraising look, which Oikawa returned with a dirty glare. He was being a bad employee, but he was dealing with a crisis, _dammit_.

“Quit overthinking it,” Bokuto flicked his ear, handing the phone back to Oikawa. “He seems nice and willing to hang out with you.”

“I don’t want him to _hang out_ with me. I want him to _date me_ ,” Oikawa whined.

“Baby steps, Oikawa, baby steps,” Bokuto reminded. “Now stop moping and get back to work. My shift is over and I have to get to practice. You should come by later if you have the time,” he added, watching Oikawa’s face shift thoughtfully.

“Hmm, maybe,” he shrugged, even though he already knew the answer. He wanted to go watch the practice and maybe play a little too, but Oikawa was too preoccupied with figuring out whether tomorrow counted as a date or not.

The distraction of volleyball would be welcome, but he apparently hated himself because while Oikawa knew that he would be much happier visiting Bokuto at practice after his shift, he wasn’t going to. Instead he was probably going to hole himself up in his room and scrutinize the texts from Iwaizumi while he drove himself crazy wondering whether their plans tomorrow counted as a date or not.

Bokuto seemed to know what Oikawa’s vague answer meant, as he shot his friend a disapproving look. “Seriously, come by. Ushijima won’t be here tonight so you won’t even have to deal with him,” Bokuto reasoned.

The thought was promising but Oikawa shook his head. He smiled reassuringly though so that Bokuto wouldn’t worry about him. “I’ll be fine. Go get to practice before you’re late and your coach benches you for it _again_ ,” Oikawa reprimanded.

“Later, Oikawa. Don’t get lost in your thoughts again,” he reminded before taking off.

Oikawa waited at the table for a few more minutes, contemplating whether he wanted to just go home or not before deciding that him _feeling sad_ because he wasn’t sure whether he had a date or not wasn’t a good enough excuse.

Bokuto was right: he should have been looking at the bright side of things. Besides, everyone started off as friends; it was easier to actually maintain a positive relationship when you did. Oikawa didn’t want to take _baby steps_ as Bokuto had put it but he was willing to try, if only because there wasn’t anything else he could do about the situation.

“You alright?” Suga asked, once he made it back to his place behind the counter.

“I am,” Oikawa smiled. He found that he did mean the words, despite having been near a panic attack only moments earlier.

“Good. I’m not going to ask what that was about unless you want to tell me,” he gestured to where Oikawa had been sitting earlier.

Oikawa frowned, chewing on his bottom lip. “I’ll tell you tomorrow,” he promised. He wanted to tell Suga right then, but he also didn’t want to give himself any more reason for self-doubt; he was lucky that his friends were so understanding. Oikawa was met by a smile and a reassuring pat on the back in response.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Suga laughed before making his way back to the cash register to ring up the new orders.

He was kept busy with all the people who entered the store to really let himself divulge into his own thoughts again, which was a good thing. About 15 minutes after Bokuto left, Suga did too and Oikawa was left alone with only Yachi. She was still in training, which meant he was doing most of the work, which he didn’t mind. It kept him busy and well occupied.

When his shift ended, he stuck around a little longer than usual to make sure that Yachi was comfortable with the other barista who had come in to replace Oikawa before getting ready to head out for the day. He was at the door when it swung open quickly, and Oikawa was forced to step back to avoid running into whoever had rushed in.

“Oh shit,” came the curse from none other than Iwaizumi. When he looked up to see that it was Oikawa at the door however, he grinned toothily and Oikawa couldn’t help but grin back, just looking at him smile so widely at him.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said teasingly, earning him a fantastic blush from the man.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “But hey, I’m glad you’re still here.”

“Did you forget something?” Oikawa frowned, eyes returning to the table they had been sitting at when he first came in about an hour and half ago.

“Nah, that’s not it,” he waved off, bringing Oikawa’s attention back towards him. In this light, his eyes looked brown, more than they did green, but so captivating all the same. “Uh listen, I was just thinking about it and I thought it might be easier for you to just show me where you live instead of texting me the address,” he answered.

“You want to walk home together?” Oikawa asked carefully.

“Only if you want to,” Iwaizumi answered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“Yes, of course!” Oikawa answered quickly before Iwaizumi could change his mind. He wasn’t sure where this bout of luck had come from but he wasn’t going to lose this kind of opportunity. He looked at Iwaizumi’s face, which seemed more flushed than when he had come in – the thought that he might have run there to catch Oikawa on time made his heart soar alone – and Oikawa couldn’t help but let a wide smile take over his face.

“Okay, cool,” Iwaizumi agreed, running his hand through his hair.

“Yeah,” Oikawa smiled, at a loss for what else to say.

“Are you ready to go?” Iwaizumi asked, breaking Oikawa out of his momentary daze.

“Oh, yes I am. Sorry about that,” he apologized, feeling his face heat up once more.

Iwaizumi waved off his apology as nothing before opening the door and holding it open for Oikawa who was behind him. It was a kind gesture, one that was polite and people did out of habit but it still put a slight bounce in Oikawa’s step, as he walked off the premise and they started their walk home.

“You do live this way, right?” Iwaizumi asked a few seconds after they had gotten onto the sidewalk.

“I know which way south is, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa laughed, referring to their earlier conversation. He was met with a sheepish look from Iwaizumi, which only made him laugh harder, much to the other man’s dismay. Oikawa turned his face slightly and hid his smile in his hand. He couldn’t understand why, but the smallest things had Oikawa teetering on the edge between happy and _utterly euphoric_ around Iwaizumi.

“How are your allergies? Did you take something for them?” he cleared his throat, gesturing towards Oikawa’s face and neck.

“Oh, no I didn’t but they went away pretty quickly!” Oikawa flushed at the question. He was saved the trouble of letting his mind go back to the reason for his incredibly red face to begin with by Iwaizumi’s answer.

“I’m glad. I’d have been disappointed if we had to cancel our plans because of it,” he admitted. The way he said it was so casual, but the words squeezed around Oikawa’s heart all the same.

“Me too,” he answered truthfully.

They fell into easy conversation after that. Talking to Iwaizumi felt so familiar that if Oikawa wasn’t so brutally aware of the fact that he didn’t really know the man, he would be tempted to think that he had actually known him his entire life.

The walk from the store to Oikawa’s apartment was only five minutes, but even when they reached his front door, which Iwaizumi had taken the initiative to walk Oikawa to without being prompted, they didn’t stop talking. They continued like that, telling each other about their day, about small things that happened that most people would have no interest in knowing, yet they couldn’t stop each other from sharing anyway.

It was only when Oikawa’s neighbour opened his door to yell at them to stop talking so loudly right in front of it did Iwaizumi look down at his watch and realize that he should probably get home.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Oikawa,” he waved, heading back down the stairs from the second floor. Oikawa leaned over the bannister and watched him go, waving enthusiastically when Iwaizumi turned around and looked up to wave again once he had reached the bottom.

Once Iwaizumi was gone, Oikawa opened the door to his apartment with shaky hands and did nothing to stop himself from sliding down against the closed door once he was inside, tilting his head back against the wood, feeling lightheaded.

Oikawa couldn’t help but think that maybe tomorrow really _was_ a date.

It was a thought that put a broad smile on his face – one that didn’t go away even as Oikawa tucked himself into his covers and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean... this probably wasn't what you were looking for, but look, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT I SWEAR. and Oikawa's bold-ish move was just him asking Iwaizumi where he lives lmao. tbh Iwa-chan made the bolder move imo but I already posted that chapter and didn't want to change the notes when I realized >.<
> 
> oh also, I imagine Kuroo and Oikawa's apartment to be sort of like [this](http://2nbtoy3u3qzf34dru617v1vs.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/968980_44_y.jpg) so there are only two floors and the stairs are outside.
> 
> I promise the next chapter will actually be them at the festival *hides*
> 
> come yell at me on [tumblr](http://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/) and I'd be happy to talk to you about this fic, iwaoi, haikyuu!! or just anything in general! c: 
> 
> next time:  
> \- date... not a date... date... (?)  
> \- cherry blossoms, mild angst and embarrassment
> 
> leave a comment or kudos to let me know what you thought? ♥︎


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so so sorry for the delay in posting today, but I have good news friends! look, they hang out... finally!! I'll let you decide if it was a date or not at the end of it ;) 
> 
> I imagine Oikawa likes taking tons of pics for ~prosperity~ duh, but at least Iwa-chan is there to indulge him
> 
> this chapter was so fun to write and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it c:

Oikawa had been a little worried that planning to spend eight full hours and maybe more with Iwaizumi was a mistake. They had only really known each other for three days now, and while their previous conversations hadn’t been awkward they had also been _short_ when compared to eight hours.

He thought they might run out of things to say or things to do because really, how could someone spend so much time at a festival _without_ taking a break to just sit and relax? There was the distraction of various booths and food stalls and the silence that watching the cherry blossoms brought but besides that, they would have to speak to one another and eight hours was a long time.

He had been worried that Iwaizumi would decide that Oikawa was boring after a while and make up some excuse to go home early, but despite all of Oikawa’s worries, that hadn’t happened.

Instead, he filled in the gaps in conversation when Oikawa paused to think about what to say next. He never left Oikawa hanging and even told him a bit about himself.

Oikawa learned that Iwaizumi had wanted to be a mechanical engineer for as long as he could remember; he learned that his dream was to design cars and that his father had taught him everything there was to know about them. He told Oikawa how he didn’t really like sweets and was immune to the cold weather thanks to having grown up in Hokkaido. He learned that Iwaizumi’s favourite food was agedashi tofu, how he loved the smell of leather and how he liked to go to the gym at least twice a week despite his busy schedule and so much more that Oikawa wasn’t sure he could store all that information in his brain in just one day alone.

Iwaizumi told him small things that might have been meaningless to anyone else but Oikawa soaked up all the new information like it was oxygen.

And when Oikawa told him about himself, he listened just as intently as Oikawa had when their roles had been reversed.

Iwaizumi was nice, he was funny, he was smart and Oikawa learned that yes, he was _very_ good looking. His immunity to the cold was a great asset because Oikawa found himself getting lost in his toned arms that were peaking from beneath his t-shirt more times than he would like to admit. He had his jacket folded over his arms most of the day, giving Oikawa great access to his slightly flexed muscles at all times.

Everything about Iwaizumi screamed perfect, and the longer they spoke to one another, the more convinced Oikawa was that his crush was a full-fledged _like_ now.

He couldn’t help but light up at everything Iwaizumi did and blush at any small compliment he received from the other man.

During the cherry blossom viewing when Iwaizumi had his head turned up towards the trees surrounding them, jaw open slightly in admiration, Oikawa had been tempted to take a picture because he looked _so good_. And so he had taken his phone out without thought and did just that, only to be met with an amused look from Iwaizumi.

“Did you just take a picture of me?” he had asked.

“Uh yeah, do you want me to delete it?” Oikawa had admitted worriedly.

“No, no that’s fine,” he had smiled. And he left it at that, not even questioning it when Oikawa took out his phone to snap pictures of them together at every other activity from then on.

And then during lunch, he had leaned over the table to peer at Oikawa’s bowl he had been picking at only to ask, “You don’t like mushrooms?”

“Hmm, not really,” Oikawa had answered sheepishly. But Iwaizumi didn’t seem to care. He had laughed and reached into his bowl to take whatever mushrooms Oikawa had tossed aside and place them into his own dish.

The gesture had taken Oikawa by surprise, but it put an irreplaceable smile on his face for the rest of their meal.

He let Oikawa drag him to every booth possible, playing along when Oikawa asked him to try on the goofiest looking masks they could find, just so he could take a picture of them. He didn’t even complain when Oikawa posted the picture to social media, tagging him in it. In fact, he actually took out his phone to like the photo, which put another wide smile on Oikawa’s face.

Everything about how they had spent the day, how they had acted around one another screamed _date_ and Oikawa was inclined to believe that it really was one. Especially when the afternoon sky turned to an orangey-purple glow and Oikawa suddenly started to walk closer to Iwaizumi, the back of his hand brushing against the other’s every so often, if only so that he could steal some of his body heat.

Iwaizumi looked down between them but didn’t pull away. He didn’t pull Oikawa’s hand between his either, which was the only thing that stopped Oikawa from doing it himself.

“So I’m curious about something,” Iwaizumi asked suddenly, bringing Oikawa’s attention from the brightly lit lanterns around him to the man walking at his side.

“Hmm?” he prompted.

“You said something about rivals to friends when you mentioned Daichi, yeah? What’s that all about?” he asked.

Oikawa paused, smiling wryly. “You didn’t ask Daichi?”

“I, uh… I wanted to ask you,” Iwaizumi shrugged. He suddenly looked embarrassed and Oikawa felt bad at the question, but the other man’s answer had his heart fluttering in a way he didn’t think was possible.

The entire day his heart had been threatening to beat out of his chest. It was as if Iwaizumi was aware of this fact and wanted nothing more than to actually see that happen. If Oikawa didn’t know any better, he would have thought that Iwaizumi was doing it on purpose.

He paused at the question though, wondering how best to answer it. There were so many ways he could go about it, many of which he didn’t want to divulge to Iwaizumi.

Not yet, anyway.

Oikawa was very aware of Iwaizumi’s gaze on him. He almost backed down from the intensity of it but then Oikawa realized it was warm, inviting, almost pleading, and he decided that there was no reason to tell him anything but the truth.

“I’ve known Daichi since high school. Our teams played one another a couple times, and we both had the same end goal in mind but were stumped by a powerhouse team. Except that his team managed to overcome that goal while mine didn’t,” Oikawa admitted. It was a sore spot, but he had long since gotten over it. He didn’t harbour any ill feelings for Daichi about it, in any case.

“Oh,” Iwaizumi answered unsurely. “What sport?” he asked before Oikawa could think to change the subject.

“Volleyball.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Iwaizumi said suddenly. His tone of voice made Oikawa observe him curiously.

“Why’d you say it like that?” he asked hesitantly, face twisted down slightly.

“I played volleyball too – back in high school that is. My team wasn’t the best but it was fun and I enjoyed the sport,” he explained. “I was just surprised we had that in common, that’s all,” he explained, chuckling shyly.

“Really? What position?” Oikawa asked, eyes lighting up at the revelation.

“Wing Spiker. You?”

“Setter,” Oikawa said proudly. He was met with a thoughtful look. “What?” Oikawa asked self-consciously. He couldn’t help but feel as if Iwaizumi was peering into him.

“You really like volleyball, huh?” he answered after a while. Oikawa let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding in.

“I do,” he answered sincerely. “I’ve played it since I was about six and my dad got me a volleyball for my birthday. I’ve been attached ever since. I tried a few different sports in middle school like basketball and tennis because of my height but nothing ever felt as good as playing volleyball did. You know that feeling you get when you have the ball in your hand for just a split second but that’s _everything_. I love the thrill of it – the way your brain moves through so many scenarios so quickly, only for you to have to choose just one. And when it turns out to be the _right one_ , it’s such a rush,” Oikawa explained.

He didn’t know why he was telling Iwaizumi that or where all of it had even come from, but he was met with that thoughtful look again.

“What?” Oikawa repeated, voice breaking out into a shy chuckle.

“It’s just…” Iwaizumi trailed off. “I’m surprised you didn’t mention it earlier when you were telling me about what you like to do for fun,” he admitted. “You still play?”

Oikawa felt like he had been punched in the gut. He didn’t like the path this conversation was taking anymore but he couldn’t stop it.

“Ah sorry, don’t answer that if it’s personal,” Iwaizumi apologized. He opened his mouth to say something else – most likely to change the subject – but Oikawa cut him off.

“No, that’s okay. I’ll tell you about it,” Oikawa smiled hesitantly. “I was going to go pro. I _wanted_ to go pro. I had a couple of offers even though my team didn’t make it past the prefecture finals. But I let the pressure of letting down my team – I was Captain in my third year – get to me and I didn’t accept any of the offers. I didn’t think I had a right to until I proved to myself and to everyone else that I was better.”

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi started hesitantly. Oikawa hated the way his voice broke. It sounded like pity, but he shook his head to stop whatever else Iwaizumi was going to say and continued anyway.

“I had until the end of the school year to accept any offers I had. My high school career ended in the summer but I was left with a couple of months to improve myself. So I threw all the free time I had into practicing. I knew I was overdoing it; I wasn’t giving myself enough time to rest in between but I got so used to using the exhaustion I felt after overworking myself as a coping mechanism, as a means to fall asleep, that I didn’t do anything to stop myself,” Oikawa admitted hollowly.

“Anyway, long story short: it was only a matter of time till I injured myself with the way I was going. I tore my ACL and my MCL. The doctor told me to give it time to rest and to go to physiotherapy but I ignored the instructions and practiced on it anyway. Safe to say, it never really healed properly. And you can guess the rest,” he finished.

Oikawa hadn’t realized that in the time he had started his story till when he finished, his eyes had shifted from looking at Iwaizumi’s face to looking down at his shoes. He lifted his head back up shyly, only to be met with an unreadable expression on Iwaizumi’s face. It made him feel on edge, if only because he hated the silence and the way he had just dampened their otherwise good mood.

“I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi finally said after a while. It was what everyone said and Oikawa had gotten used to hearing those words from anyone who found out. Somehow though, the way Iwaizumi said it no longer made Oikawa think he pitied him. His words were more forceful, supportive, _angry_ even, which was different from all the other responses.

“It’s fine, I deserved it for not knowing my own limits,” Oikawa dismissed vaguely.

“ _No_.” Iwaizumi’s voice cut through him as cold as ice. He dropped the hand he had raised in an attempt to brush the conversation off, eyes widening slightly.

“Pardon?” Oikawa asked, taken aback by the harshness of his tone.

“Don’t say that you deserved it. _No one_ deserves something like that. Shit, Oikawa, don’t ever do that to yourself again,” he scolded, eyes narrowing in anger.

This was the first time Oikawa had seen Iwaizumi look _pissed_. It intimidated him a little, but he felt no malice in his words – just concern. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and nodded feebly.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, unsure whether he was apologizing to himself or Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi nodded, understanding the words all the same. Oikawa scuffed his shoe in the dirt lightly making the dust float up around it before turning his head up to ask shyly, “Tell me about your team.”

He thought Iwaizumi was going to say ‘no’ with the way he was still frowning, face hard and unreadable, but then his expression softened and he asked quietly, “You sure?”

“Yes, I want to hear about them. Please?” Oikawa asked hesitantly.

“Okay, yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed. And just like that, he was smiling again, dimples and all, telling Oikawa more about his team and his friends back home.

He didn’t talk about why he transferred to Tokyo however, and Oikawa didn’t ask. He figured there was a reason for it but if Iwaizumi wasn’t going to offer it up, then Oikawa wasn’t going to ask. Especially considering he had almost ruined the perfect atmosphere by bringing up his past with volleyball.

Well technically Iwaizumi had brought it up but Oikawa had almost let it slip into a pity party. Thankfully, Iwaizumi hadn’t allowed that to happen. So while Oikawa wanted to know more about the other man and what brought him to Tokyo, he decided that was something he could leave for another time.

 _Another time_.

_Another date._

The thought made Oikawa smile because this really _did_ feel like a date.

He turned his attention back to Iwaizumi and let himself get lost in the way the other man talked animatedly about his teammates. It seemed that he loved volleyball just as much as Oikawa did, which was what spurred the next thought.

“We should play together sometime,” Oikawa said suddenly.

“Volleyball?” Iwaizumi asked, pausing at the thought.

“Duh, what else?” Oikawa laughed, hitting Iwaizumi’s shoulder lightly with his own. He felt his upper arm heat up, even with the minimal contact.

“Yeah, okay. I’d love that. You know other people who play?” Iwaizumi asked.

Oikawa chuckled at the question. “Just all of my friends,” he said with a grin. “Well you know Daichi plays, but his boyfriend’s also a volleyball player. Setter too – they were actually on the same high school team. Then there’s Kuroo and Kenma and Akaashi,” Oikawa counted off. “Oh and of course there’s Bokuto,” he smiled.

“The guy who spilled coffee on me?” Iwaizumi asked suddenly. Oikawa almost stuttered at the memory, but he had nothing to worry about because when he looked at Iwaizumi, the man was sporting a lopsided grin.

“Yeah, the guy who spilled coffee on you,” Oikawa agreed with a laugh. “He’s actually on the Varsity team. He lets me set for him sometimes, so I know most of the team. We can probably convince some of them to join so that we can have a proper game instead,” Oikawa suggested. “Although we do have four Setters alone with just the eight of us but I can play Wing Spiker too if I have to, even thought it’s not my favourite position… no offense,” Oikawa added as an afterthought.

“None taken,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “Us Wing Spikers wouldn’t have much to do without a Setter anyway,” he agreed.

“You’re definitely very smart,” Oikawa cooed, but his eyes sparkled with a renewed mirth at the recognition. Iwaizumi coughed at the compliment, two perfect patches of red appearing on his otherwise smooth skin.

“Do you know all of them from high school?” Iwaizumi asked once he had gotten over his initial embarrassment.

“Nope, just Daichi and Suga, not that we were really friends back then. I met Kuroo in first year since we were dorm mates and then Bokuto because of him as well. Akaashi and Kenma are in the year below us but Kuroo and Bokuto know them so that’s how I met them. And actually, Kuroo and Daichi have been friends since high school, which was news to me because Daichi was all the way in Miyagi and Kuroo’s always been in Tokyo,” Oikawa explained.

“So what you’re telling me is that you’re friends with everyone because of Kuroo?” Iwaizumi laughed. Oikawa frowned, raising his eyebrows in thought at the question.

“Actually, _yeah_ , you’re right. Huh, I never thought about it like that before,” he mused.

“It’s nice though,” Iwaizumi said suddenly. “That you’re all bonded through volleyball.”

“It is,” Oikawa agreed with a smile. “But now you are too,” he teased. “I mean, if you want to be. I can introduce you to everyone else?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Iwaizumi nodded, smiling thoughtfully.

“ _Yay_ ,” Oikawa clapped his hands excitedly. “I’m so happy, _oh_ , let’s go by the clubs’ booths. Akaashi and Bokuto should be around there somewhere,” he motioned tugging at the sleeve of Iwaizumi’s jacket suddenly.

Oikawa wasn’t sure whether Iwaizumi agreeing to his introducing him to his friends was a thing he wanted to do right then but he couldn’t help it. The excitement had seeped in and he couldn’t stop himself from wanting everyone to meet Iwaizumi and to like him just as much as Oikawa did.

In retrospect, he was probably getting ahead of himself. Neither of them had said anything to confirm that today was a date and yet, Oikawa was still pulling Iwaizumi along to meet his friends because he couldn’t hold back the excitement of them getting to know him.

Oikawa told himself that if anything, Iwaizumi could have said ‘no’ and asked to do something else if he really didn’t want to. But he hadn’t. He smiled and let Oikawa tug him along. Even when his pace matched up to Oikawa’s, he didn’t do anything to stop Oikawa from keeping his hold on his sleeve. It wasn’t exactly holding his hand, but it was still intimate and Oikawa relished in that fact.

“Akaashi!” Oikawa greeted when he saw his friend sitting beneath the arts club’s stand. He looked bored, and a little startled when Oikawa called his name, but a smile found its way onto his face when he realized who it was that was speaking to him.

“Hi, Oikawa,” he greeted. “I haven’t seen you since last week. What have you been up to?” he asked, before letting his eyes fall to Iwaizumi, whose sleeve Oikawa was still gripping. He wasn’t sure why, but Akaashi’s sudden smirk made Oikawa drop his hand.

“Oh nothing much. Work, homework, watching volleyball with Bokuto and Kuroo.”

“So the usual then,” Akaashi laughed. “Bokuto told me about the game on Thursday. Sorry your team lost,” he apologized.

“It’s okay, we’ll get ‘em next time,” Oikawa smiled easily.

“Your team?” Iwaizumi suddenly asked, making Oikawa remember the reason that he was here in the first place.

“F.C Tokyo. The best team, obviously,” Oikawa said proudly.

“Are you kidding me? Tokyo’s the last in the League!” Iwaizumi laughed. His laughter only increased at Oikawa’s pout.

“Stop hating on my team, Iwa-chan. What team do you even root for? I swear if you say the Thunders I’m going home right now,” Oikawa threatened.

He wasn’t actually going to leave. Nothing would be able to make him walk away from Iwaizumi, even if the other man supported Oikawa’s most disliked volleyball team in the Japan Premier League.

“Oh wow, that’s a little harsh considering you invited me out in the first place,” Iwaizumi teased. Oikawa’s fake frown faltered a little, but Iwaizumi continued, giving Oikawa no reason to feel that he had been doing anything but joking with his earlier comment. “Toray Arrows,” he grinned.

“So the second last team in the League?” Oikawa raised his eyebrows disbelievingly.

“So you _are_ aware of the standings,” Iwaizumi laughed.

Oikawa swatted his arm and whined, “Mean, Iwa-chan!” which just made Iwaizumi laugh harder. “It’s not like the Arrows are any better,” he pouted, poking at Iwaizumi’s arm childishly.

“Hey, still better than being last,” he teased.

“You watch volleyball too?” Akaashi asked, cutting Iwaizumi and Oikawa off from their private conversation. He didn’t look angry at being ignored, but Oikawa still blushed furiously all the same.

“Ah sorry Akaashi,” he apologized. “I want you to meet Iwa-chan,” he smiled, gesturing to the man next to him.

Iwaizumi moved up and extended an arm. “Iwaizumi,” he corrected, staring pointedly at Oikawa who winked at him with his tongue out in response.

“Sorry,” he apologized, but he didn’t look sorry at all.

“Akaashi,” Akaashi greeted, taking Iwaizumi’s extended hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, you too. So you’re in the arts club?” Iwaizumi asked, pointing to the sign above.

“Not really,” Akaashi laughed. “I’m a fine arts major but I ended up getting stuck with the job of promoting the arts club this year,” he admitted.

“Oh quit complaining. It’s only because all the professors love you so much. Akaashi is a prodigy,” Oikawa explained to Iwaizumi.

“Don’t call me that,” Akaashi sighed, face lighting up in embarrassment.

“You must have a lot of patience,” Iwaizumi remarked lightly.

“And why’s that?” Akaashi asked.

“You deal with this idiot voluntarily,” he jerked his thumb at Oikawa.

Oikawa’s jaw dropped open at the words. “How rude of you, Iwa-chan! I introduce you to my friend and you just say mean things about me,” he complained.

“Sorry, sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized. He was still laughing, but he did pat Oikawa’s hair lightly, which appeased him a little.

“Where’s Bokuto? We walked past the volleyball club’s booth but he wasn’t there,” Oikawa asked, leaning into the touch.

“Right there,” Akaashi pointed to Bokuto who was heading they way. His hands were filled with as many boxes of food he could hold, which was unsurprising. He waved at them when he noticed the group, running the last few metres to make it to them.

“Akaashi~” he greeted, putting the boxes down on the table despite Akaashi’s protests and latching himself onto the other man’s shoulder. “I almost got lost, I can’t believe you made me go get food all by myself,” he complained nuzzling his face in the crook between Akaashi’s neck and shoulder. He didn’t look embarrassed by the display of affection at all, however Akaashi’s face lit up, making him cough and pry himself out of Bokuto’s grip.

“Bokuto-san, don’t be rude,” he gestured towards Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

“Hey Oikawa,” Bokuto greeted before turning to Iwaizumi. “And I take it you’re Iwaizumi. Hey man, listen about the last time, I’m _really_ sorry about the coffee,” he apologized again.

“Don’t worry about it,” Iwaizumi waved off. “Let’s pretend that didn’t happen and move on, yeah?” he asked good-naturedly.

“Okay, yeah, thanks dude. You’re really nice, I like you,” Bokuto stated bluntly.

“He likes volleyball, too,” Akaashi added.

“He _plays_ volleyball, too,” Oikawa corrected.

“Oh sweet! We should all play sometime,” Bokuto offered excitedly. Oikawa looked over to Iwaizumi as if to say ‘ _See, I told you so_ ’ but Iwaizumi ignored the look and agreed to Bokuto’s proposal.

“I like you even better now,” Bokuto exclaimed.

Iwaizumi chuckled nervously at that, but he didn’t look uncomfortable. They chatted with one another for a little while longer until Bokuto turned his attention back to Akaashi and asked, “Akaashi, pet my head.”

“ _Bokuto-san_ ,” Akaashi hissed, embarrassed at Bokuto’s lack of filter in front of other people. Oikawa didn’t even bat an eye, completely used to their antics, but Iwaizumi blushed slightly at the sight.

“I take it you’re dating?” he asked, which caused all heads to turn in his direction.

“Dating? Who’s dating? Me and Akaashi? _What_? No. _No_. You’re wrong. I have to get back to the team. Bye,” Bokuto called hastily, detaching himself from Akaashi within seconds and disappearing back into the crowd.

“Uhm, I’m really sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized to Akaashi.

“Don’t worry about it. But I should go find him,” Akaashi sighed. “It was nice meeting you Iwaizumi-san. Take care, you two,” he greeted before walking after Bokuto.

Next to Iwaizumi, Oikawa was trying to stifle his laughter very badly in his hands. “They’re _not_ dating?” Iwaizumi asked. “Oi, Shittykawa that’s not funny. Stop laughing,” he nudged, breaking Oikawa away from his hand.

“Oh my god, what did you just call me? That’s so not cute!” Oikawa complained.

“Quit being an asshole then. I feel terrible,” Iwaizumi mumbled.

“Don’t worry,” Oikawa reassured. “Everyone thinks they’re dating, you’re not the only one. They certainly act like they are and I know Akaashi for sure wants to be. Who knows what Bokuto’s problem is though,” Oikawa explained.

“You sure you should be telling me stuff like that?” Iwaizumi asked suspiciously.

“Psh, it’s common knowledge Iwa-chan,” Oikawa waved off. “Want to share takoyaki?” he asked suddenly, turning the conversation to a different topic in an attempt to lessen Iwaizumi’s embarrassment.

“Sure, but you’re paying,” Iwaizumi chuckled when Oikawa protested. “Hey, it’s only fair since you let me embarrass myself,” he shoved at Oikawa’s shoulder lightly.

“Fine, fine,” Oikawa agreed, tossing him a grin before tugging him towards the food stalls. Oikawa didn’t mind paying for Iwaizumi in the least. In fact, he was happy to, considering it made this whole day feel more like a date.

He didn’t stop at takoyaki though when his eyes found the yakisoba, then the spicy fish balls. He would probably regret eating so much fried food the next day, but he couldn’t stop himself, and Iwaizumi did nothing to end Oikawa’s excitement either.

He did however, pay for the ice cream when it didn’t seem like Oikawa was going to end soon, feeling bad that Oikawa was paying for everything, even though the food wasn’t very expensive.

They made their way to the concert stage after that, ice cream in hand. Oikawa was humming quietly to himself, something that didn’t evade Iwaizumi’s notice.

“What are you humming?” he asked quietly.

“Oh I’m not really sure,” Oikawa laughed. “I heard this at the coffee shop the other day and I don’t remember the lyrics but the tune’s been stuck in my head ever since,” he admitted. He took a bite of his ice cream then and shivered visibly when the cold hit his tongue. The sky was getting darker and without the warmth of the sun, Oikawa couldn’t help but feel a little cold.

“You cold?” Iwaizumi asked, nudging him when he shivered again.

“Uhm… maybe a little,” Oikawa admitted sheepishly, but he took another bite of his ice cream all the same. He really couldn’t let a treat like that go to waste, especially if Iwaizumi had paid for it. He knew he should have worn a heavier coat but he liked the way his olive cardigan had looked with his white shirt and blue jeans and he didn’t have time re-work an outfit before Iwaizumi picked him up that morning when he realized this fact.

“Here,” Iwaizumi said suddenly, nudging Oikawa again to break him out of his thoughts, this time holding out his jacket.

“Hmm? Oh no, then _you’ll_ be cold. You’re only wearing a t-shirt,” Oikawa gaped, feeling extremely conflicted. On one hand, Iwaizumi was offering him his jacket; on the other hand, he couldn’t be that big of an asshole that he’d let the other man be cold just for the gesture.

“From Hokkaido, remember? This is nothing. I only wore it just in case,” he waved his hand again. He didn’t seem to look uncomfortable wearing only his navy, cuffed short sleeved shirt, but the idea still made Oikawa frown.

Oikawa thought about it for only another second before accepting the same black bomber jacket Iwaizumi had been wearing that time he came in after closing. He put his ice cream bowl down on the grass beside him before putting the jacket on. It wasn’t meant to be zipped, Oikawa was aware it was only for style, but he zipped it up anyway, relishing in the warmth of Iwaizumi’s body heat that was still lingering on the inside.

It smelled just like Iwaizumi too, which made Oikawa smile to himself. It was a new smell, one that he didn’t recognize, but he found that he liked, all the same. It was earthy, smelling of musk and just a tad bit fruity; maybe of charred wood infused with orange, Oikawa guessed.

“Thanks, Iwa-chan,” he smiled, pulling his knees up and making himself comfortable. He heard the other man grunt in response, which was enough for him.

The concert wasn’t amazing, but Oikawa was too distracted the whole time to remember any of it even if it had been. He wasn’t the least bit embarrassed to admit that he had spent the majority of it with his knees pulled up to his chin, arms wrapped around the width of his legs and face stuffed within the jacket sleeves just so he could feel Iwaizumi’s warmth on his face and breathe in the smell of his cologne.

When it ended, the sky lit up with fireworks, marking an end to the festival as well. They hadn’t talked about staying until then, but Iwaizumi didn’t make a move to leave and Oikawa wasn’t going to do it either.

By the time they were walking back home, Oikawa realized it was already nearing 11 pm and he had spent almost _eleven hours_ with the other man.

“I had a fun time today,” Iwaizumi said when Oikawa was at his door. “Thanks for asking me to come with you,” he continued.

“I had fun too,” Oikawa agreed. Iwaizumi still hadn’t asked for his jacket back and Oikawa wasn’t sure whether he wanted to offer it up. Oikawa was running everything that had happened throughout the day in his head, wondering whether he had enough reason to just _go for it_ when Iwaizumi spoke again.

“And meeting your friends was nice too, even if I embarrassed myself in front of them,” he laughed.

“I’m glad you still managed to have fun despite that,” Oikawa teased. He dropped his eyes to Iwaizumi’s lips, hoping that the action would give him some kind of hint. He was rewarded when Iwaizumi stepped in closer, his own eyes dropping to Oikawa’s lips.

“I did,” Iwaizumi insisted. “I’m glad I met you,” he continued.

“Me too,” Oikawa agreed.

“I’m glad we’re friends.”

“Me… “ Wait, did he just say _friends_? “Too,” Oikawa finished, mouth forming around the word before he could stop himself.

Oikawa looked down at him, unsure what had just happened. He looked like he was interested – he had _acted_ like he was interested the whole damn day. So why Iwaizumi just threw the word _friends_ in there like that was beyond him. He looked at the other man, waiting for some kind of reply but Iwaizumi seemed to have been waiting for Oikawa to do the same. When neither of them spoke for a few awkward seconds however, Iwaizumi took a step back, widening the distance between them.

“Uhm, well, goodnight,” he said hurriedly.

He didn’t even wait for Oikawa to respond before he was turning around and walking down the stairs. Oikawa looked over the bannister like he had done just last night when Iwaizumi had walked him home, but this time he wasn’t met with a turn of the man’s head and a second wave when he reached the bottom.

Instead, he continued on his path home, not sparing Oikawa a second glance.

 _Friends_. The word rang out in Oikawa’s ears, as he watched Iwaizumi go. He made himself turn away from the road so that he could pretend like Iwaizumi had looked back at him when he was turned the other way.

But Oikawa knew that wasn’t the case.

He shakily put his key in the lock and opened the door. He collapsed against it when he was inside just like he had the night before, but this time, he was met with a hard ache in his heart and an urge to cry instead of the giddiness from the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so you know how Iwaizumi just casually assumed Bokuto and Akaashi were dating? well... it happens friends >.< I just hope Akaashi and Bokuto figure their feelings out better *sweats*
> 
> but seriously, feelings are terrible and figuring them out is even worse, so what everyone can learn is: MAKING MISTAKES IS OK!
> 
> next time:  
> \- Oikawa is moody af  
> \- Kenma and Suga are good friends™
> 
> thank you for reading! maybe leave me a comment to let me know your thoughts? c:


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my sister is always complaining about a lack of hot guys in her program, so here I am, making it up with both Iwaizumi and Daichi, the hot mechanical engineers. I mean... fictional characters but oh well, it still counts, right? thanks for making it this far w/ me if you have! ♥︎
> 
> I have waited since last week Friday to post this chapter bc it made me so anxious leaving off their date-not-date like that lmao. but I hope this soothes some of your hearts a little ♥︎ don't let the angst fool you!!

It had been almost a week since the day Oikawa had dubbed as ‘The Worst’ – he refused to acknowledge it in any other way – and he still wasn’t over the fact that Iwaizumi had called him his _friend_. He had never hated a word more in his life and it wasn’t even a bad one. Oikawa had tons of friends and he was happy to call them as much when speaking about them but when Iwaizumi had used it towards _Oikawa_ , it suddenly became a taboo word.

After coming home after that date-not date with Iwaizumi, Oikawa had spent the rest of the night, curled up against the door, refusing to move until Kuroo came home around 4 am, at which point he picked Oikawa up and put him down on his bed since he wouldn’t budge otherwise.

Then Oikawa had spent the rest of Sunday sniffling dramatically, unwilling to get up and do anything other than watch _A Walk To Remember_ on repeat, sobbing and yelling at the screen every single time Jamie told Landon she had incurable cancer. It was only when Kuroo came home that evening to watch Oikawa on his fourth re-run of the day that he took out the DVD and held it hostage until he at least _changed_.

“Come on Oikawa, you have class tomorrow,” Kuroo had pleaded, regarding his friend with a wary face and a heavy sigh.

“I don’t care. I’ll go like this,” he had motioned to his Darth Vader t-shirt and grey speckled sweatpants.

“No you won’t. If you don’t go shower _right now_ , I’m going to dump cold water on you first thing tomorrow morning. Your choice,” he had threatened, which was the only reason Oikawa even found himself clean and ready for bed at a decent hour that evening. He really hadn’t wanted to go to school the next day – he used the excuse that he didn’t have any of his assignments done – but Kuroo was a good roommate and an even better friend, much to Oikawa’s chagrin.

He had packed Oikawa lunch, taken his keys, and pushed him out the door, refusing to let him back in until he knew his classes were over.

Tuesday was worse than Monday because he had work scheduled for the first shift. He had snapped at far too many customers in the span of twenty minutes, which had caused Suga to tell him to go home early, and make the executive decision to replace all of his shifts for the week in an attempt to do some damage control. So Oikawa was left with nothing but schoolwork to keep him occupied, which wasn’t _nearly enough_ , for the rest of the week.

However the worst day was Wednesday, when Oikawa received a text from Iwaizumi asking him whether he was working that day. He wasn’t sure whether he was angrier about the text or its contents, because who the fuck did he think he was, making Oikawa feel like everything about their outing was a _date_ only to crush his hopes?

Oikawa thought he had done everything _right_. They had a good time, albeit there being a bit of a bumpy patch along the way, but they picked up right after it as if nothing had happened. Iwaizumi had leaned into Oikawa’s touches, hadn’t pushed his hand away whenever it lingered against his for longer than it should have and he even gave Oikawa his jacket when he noticed Oikawa was cold – which by the way, Oikawa had yet to return and had been wearing obstinately throughout the week.

Who did those things for just a _friend_?

Oikawa felt venom seep into his tongue again at the mere thought of the word. It had caused him to chuck his phone against the room, but thankfully his floor was carpeted and his phone received no damage.

He had stared at the message for a while, contemplating ignoring it but in the end, Oikawa decided that a brusque, “No,” was more than enough to get his point across.

He did feel a little smug when he received just an “Oh,” in response, although it wasn’t enough to get rid of his bad mood. He briefly wondered if Iwaizumi had sent that message while at the store in the hopes of running into him, but Oikawa pushed that thought away as quickly as it had appeared because there was no point in getting worked up about something that simply wasn’t true.

He hadn’t responded to that second message and Iwaizumi hadn’t sent another one. Not for the rest of Wednesday, not on Thursday and not yet on Friday either. Oikawa knew he was being stubborn and that maybe he just hadn’t tried hard enough, but no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn’t help but feel like he _had_.

He didn’t know what else he was supposed to do. If Iwaizumi just didn’t like him then that was fine, but Oikawa had stubbornly decided that he wasn’t sure they could be _friends_. He figured that in time, he would come to that understanding, if that was really what the other man wanted, but for now he was content wallowing in his own self-pity.

“Oikawa, come watch a movie with us,” Kuroo called from the living room on Friday night. When Oikawa didn’t responded however, he came to the door to repeat his offer.

“I don’t want to,” Oikawa refused stubbornly.

“Why not?” Kuroo questioned. “It’s Friday. It’s been almost an entire week since you’ve been held up in your own pity party. Enough is enough,” Kuroo snapped.

“I’ll have you know, I refused because I didn’t want to be a _third wheel_ ,” Oikawa bit back.

“You’re not going to be a third wheel,” Kenma said coming into view. “You’re our friend and we invited you to watch a movie with us. We won’t do anything friends wouldn’t do,” he continued.

“How many times do I have to tell you _not_ to use the _f-word_ ,” Oikawa hissed.

“Come on man, you have to get over it. You can’t force someone to like you,” Kuroo said carefully.

“That’s not what I was trying to do!” Oikawa cried, fresh tears springing up on his face. He didn’t even bother to hide them from Kuroo and Kenma who were still standing at the doorway, watching him with contempt.

“He didn’t mean it like that,” Kenma comforted, stepping into the room and sitting himself cross-legged next to Oikawa. “Tell him you didn’t mean it like that,” he repeated looking pointedly at Kuroo.

“I really didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry, Oikawa,” Kuroo apologized, stepping in and sitting on Oikawa’s other side.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry for snapping at you,” Oikawa apologized through his sniffles, noticing and appreciating the genuine concern in Kuroo’s voice.

“He may have had his reasons, which had nothing to do with you,” Kenma continued. “You never know, he could have just panicked at the last minute. You’re pretty attractive too, Tooru,” he comforted.

Oikawa jutted his lip out at the compliment, unsure whether he wanted to believe it or not. “Maybe,” he answered unsurely. It was too good to be true, he decided.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Kuroo with his arm placed around Oikawa’s shoulder and Kenma running his fingers through Oikawa’s hair soothingly, until Oikawa felt his mood lift slightly.

“Sorry for ruining your movie night,” Oikawa apologized eventually.

“You didn’t ruin our movie night,” Kuroo promised.

“You should go back to it. I’m fine,” Oikawa continued.

“No, you’re not,” Kenma said bluntly.

“What?”

“You’re not fine. If you want us to go back to our movie, then we will, but don’t tell us to go because you’re _fine_. I’m calling Koushi,” he announced.

“ _Why_?”

“Because it’s obvious we’re making you sad. Oh, don’t look at me like that Tooru, we’re not offended. But Koushi said Daichi was going to be out late tonight and that he wanted to ask if you would come over but he was afraid that you’d get mad at the idea. He’s been thinking you’ve been angry with him since he took away all your shifts for the week,” Kenma explained.

“I… I’m not mad at him. Please tell him that,” Oikawa said softly.

“Tell him yourself. I’m going to text him to come get you,” Kenma said in a voice that didn’t leave much room for argument.

“ _Fine_.”

Despite his verbal protests, Oikawa couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride at knowing he had people like this by his side. He was grateful for everything they did for him, and how well they knew him.

He couldn’t help the choked sobs that escaped him at the thought and when Suga came to pick Oikawa up, he didn’t hold back from whimpering pathetically against his friend’s shoulder.

It was nice hanging out with him though. It was a good distraction and to his credit, Suga didn’t bring up Iwaizumi at all. Instead, he talked about school and people they knew. He stayed away from any topic that could relate back to Iwaizumi and when they got to his apartment, he pulled out a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates before insisting Oikawa choose a movie.

Oikawa even managed to convince Suga to give him back his Saturday shift, which was a stupid idea considering they were drinking, but Suga agreed, happy to have his friend look in better spirits than he had all week.

They shared the bottle, which wasn’t strong to begin with so by the time it finished, Oikawa wasn’t feeling very drunk at all but rather in a happy, tipsy state, which he found he liked the best.

Around 9 pm, the front door rattled, and Oikawa peered up from under the blankets he and Suga had cocooned themselves in to look for the source of the noise.

“I thought you said Daichi wasn’t going to be back till late.”

“That’s what he told me,” Suga frowned. “Maybe his plans changed.”

“Maybe. _Oh_ , you should get him to drink with us. He’s so fun when he’s drunk,” Oikawa laughed lightly. Suga nodded his head in agreement, making Oikawa’s face light up in a smile, only to have it fall in an instant when he noticed Daichi hadn’t come back alone.

He glared accusingly at Suga who shook his head fearfully, silently apologizing. “I swear I didn’t know he was going to bring him here,” Suga hissed under his breath, eyes wide.

Oikawa didn’t respond, too angry to think of a response that wouldn’t hurt Suga’s feelings. He knew it wasn’t his fault and from the guilty look on Daichi’s face at seeing Oikawa, he knew it wasn’t his fault either. Still, it didn’t stop Oikawa’s eyes from narrowing and fury from settling deep into his features.

“Ah shit, I didn’t know you guys were hanging out,” Daichi apologized guiltily.

“I texted you,” Suga said from beside Oikawa, looking wholly unimpressed and a little fearful.

“My phone died,” he pulled up the device in apology. “The library closed early today because they’re preparing for a conference tomorrow,” he explained embarrassedly. Oikawa’s eyes moved from Daichi’s to Iwaizumi’s who was standing behind him. When he realized that the other man was looking _anywhere_ but at Oikawa, he felt his chest tighten in irritation.

“I’m going to go home,” Oikawa said suddenly, standing up and dropping the blankets around his feet.

“No, _stay_ ,” Daichi and Suga said at the same time. “You were here first,” Daichi insisted.

“This is _your_ apartment, Dai-chan,” Oikawa reminded. “I have work tomorrow morning anyway. I’ll leave you to your plans.” He moved away from the couch towards the entrance, very aware of how close he was to Iwaizumi, yet the other man hadn’t said a word to him and Oikawa was too stubborn to be the first one to open up conversation.

He bent down to slip on his shoes, struggling a bit with the laces due to his slightly tipsy state mixed in with his rage.

“Let me walk you home, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said unexpectedly, causing everyone in the room to shift their attention to him. Oikawa narrowed his eyes, unsure what kind of a game Iwaizumi was playing at. 

“Why? Because we're _friends_?” Oikawa bit back venomously. 

“I...” Iwaizumi stared at him at a loss for words. Had Oikawa been less tipsy he would have felt bad at having snapped at the man like that but it turned out that he wasn't able to really filter his thoughts in his current state. 

“Goodnight Suga, Daichi,” Oikawa greeted, ignoring the protests he received from them. He swung open the front door forcefully and stepped out. He made it all the way down the stairs and outside the building before he heard footsteps running towards him. 

“Oikawa!” Iwaizumi called from behind. Oikawa ignored the voice, refusing to turn around. “Oikawa, slow down,” he pulled at the sleeves of Oikawa's, no, _his_ jacket, which Oikawa was still stubbornly wearing. The thought seemed to ground him and he let go, falling into step with Oikawa instead. 

He didn't say anything; he just let Oikawa lead, walking next to him quietly. But Oikawa could _feel_ his eyes every time they turned to look at him before quickly turning away, as if he was trying to prove a point by not getting caught staring.

“What are you doing?” Oikawa snapped after a while when Iwaizumi made no move to turn back. 

“What do you mean? I'm walking you home.” 

“I never said you could.”

“But I want to,” Iwaizumi insisted. 

“Fine, do what you want,” he huffed, ignoring the fact that he had just repeated what Iwaizumi said, only in a slightly different way. 

But Iwaizumi didn't make a comment if he had noticed. They walked in silence for a few more minutes until he cleared his throat and spoke again. 

“I'm sorry,” he apologized, making Oikawa scoff. “What?” he asked a little angrily at the response he received from Oikawa. 

“What are you sorry for?” Oikawa raised an eyebrow questioningly. When Iwaizumi opened his mouth only to gape at him, he hummed. “That's what I thought. Don't apologize for things when you don't have to, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa scolded bitterly.

The use of the nickname sounded cold though and not the slightest bit endearing, unlike all the other times Oikawa had used it. 

“So then why are you mad at me?” Iwaizumi asked. 

“Who said I was mad at you?” Oikawa responded childishly. 

“I'm not an idiot,” he said seriously. “If I didn't do something that warrants an apology then why have you not texted me? Why are you acting like _this_ towards me?” he pressed, gesturing to Oikawa's scrunched up face and crossed arms. 

“Texting goes two ways,” Oikawa reminded. 

“I _know_. I texted you first. You shut me out, remember?” he sounded like he was on the verge of anger but somehow, he maintained an even tone. Oikawa was a bit impressed; he knew he was being unnecessarily difficult and unfair, but he couldn't stop himself. 

“Maybe you’re just bad at keeping up conversation,” Oikawa huffed, annoyed at having been accused – rightfully so – of ignoring Iwaizumi’s messages.

“Fine, I’m sorry for not trying harder with our conversation,” Iwaizumi apologized sincerely. Oikawa stuttered, before he caught himself, and the fleeting look of surprise was replaced in an instant by a haughty shrug.

“Whatever,” Oikawa responded airily, hoping that Iwaizumi would ignore him. He was lucky for only a few more minutes. Then they reached the gate of Oikawa's apartment complex and he felt a hand grip his wrist, preventing him from going any further. 

“Tell me what I did, please?” Iwaizumi asked.

It was his conviction that _he_ was in the wrong that broke Oikawa. He felt the guilt at having treated Iwaizumi so coldly rush through his veins, filling every crevice it could with ice. His face faltered, unsure what he was supposed to say, _how_ he could even explain that none of this was in any way Iwaizumi's fault.  

“Please?” Iwaizumi repeated again, fingers loosening their hold on Oikawa's wrist only to tangle themselves between Oikawa's own. 

“I can't be friends with you, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said quickly.

“What? Why not?”

“I can't be _friends_ with you because I _like_ you. A lot. I've liked you ever since you first came into the coffee shop. I tried to get your name and failed, which made me realize just how much _more_ I liked you. You're funny, and smart, and have _really_ nice arms. I can't stop thinking about you and then when we went to the Spring Festival last week I for sure thought it was a date and you even gave me your jacket and leant in while we were at the door,” Oikawa jerked his head behind him, indicating where they had been just a few nights ago. 

“But then you said you were glad we were friends and ran off without even waiting for a reply. I won't lie, that stung, a _lot_ , and I tried to understand it, tried to tell myself that I couldn't _make you like me_ , which is fine, but that doesn't mean _I'm_ okay with it. You may want to be friends, but I don't. Not while I really like you anyway. So maybe this is selfish of me, but please don't text me or talk to me if we run into each other. I don't think we can be friends because it won't help me get over you,” Oikawa finished. 

He waited for Iwaizumi's hand to let go of his. He waited for the other man to push Oikawa away and tell him he was crazy. He waited for some kind of firm rejection, which he sorely needed to put Iwaizumi out of his mind. But he received none of those things.

Instead, he felt Iwaizumi's hand squeeze around his own, saw the other man take a step toward him, felt his free hand cup his cheek slowly, all before pressing his lips tenderly against Oikawa's. 

“That's not funny,” Oikawa whispered, pulling back, voice breaking around his words. 

“It wasn't meant to be,” Iwaizumi responded seriously. 

“But you don't like me,” Oikawa continued. 

“I never said that.”

“You don't _like_ me,” he corrected. 

“I never said _that_ either,” Iwaizumi chuckled, eyes glinting against the dim streetlights. 

“You ran away,” Oikawa reminded. 

“I did,” Iwaizumi agreed. “I was just thinking that you looked really pretty with the light catching your eyes; then I saw you wearing my jacket and I realized you were _real_ and not just my imagination and I got scared,” he admitted squeezing Oikawa's hand again. “I'm sorry for making you think I didn't like you,” he apologized with purpose. 

“You're so mean, Iwa-chan. Do you know how sad I was all week?” Oikawa complained, but he was smiling and his eyes were glistening slightly. 

Iwaizumi flushed at the sight, taken aback by Oikawa's honesty but grateful for it all the same. “Let me make it up to you,” he offered, voice low. Oikawa saw his eyes flutter down his lips again and this time, Oikawa was certain what the action meant. 

“Hmm, are you sure? I think there's a lot for you to make up for,” Oikawa teased, bad mood having been lifted instantly. He stepped back so his back was against the brick wall lining the front of the apartment complex and tugged at Iwaizumi's hand to follow suite. 

“Yeah, yeah, I am,” he insisted.

It was all the warning Oikawa got before Iwaizumi was kissing him with none of the softness and hesitance from their first kiss. He didn't wait very long to turn the kisses open mouthed and lick at Oikawa's bottom lip, sucking it between his teeth lightly until Oikawa opened up. 

Oikawa felt the grip on their entwined hands tighten. Iwaizumi never let go; instead, he opted to use his other hand to caress every part of Oikawa he was allowed to. He ran his fingers through his hair, over his cheeks, down the long line of his neck. They hovered over his clavicle for a few moments – Iwaizumi seemingly mesmerized by the profound structure – before he ran them over Oikawa's chest and torso. When he got to his hips, Iwaizumi tucked his fingers inside the jacket before almost shyly slipping them beneath the shirt to graze the pads of his fingers against the smooth skin of Oikawa's stomach. 

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whimpered from in front of him, breaking off from their kiss for breath. He was feeling lightheaded and dazed, and not all of it was from the alcohol. Iwaizumi hesitated again, fingers brushing lightly against the skin of his stomach before Oikawa took the initiative to wrap his hand around Iwaizumi's and press down.

That was all the consent he needed; he let his hand roam the expanse of skin and trace over the hard lines of Oikawa's stomach. He was reminded when he met the muscle there that Oikawa had been an athlete in high school and he was so very grateful for that fact. 

Oikawa took that chance to touch Iwaizumi's forearm before letting his fingers trail up and squeeze around his bicep. The action made Iwaizumi chuckle a little bit, making Oikawa break off the contact. 

“What?” he pouted. 

“Nothing,” he said dismissively. When Oikawa’s pout deepened, he explained himself. “I was just thinking how you had mentioned my arms during your confession,” he bit his lower lip to stop himself from laughing but Oikawa didn't miss the action. 

“Don't be mean,” Oikawa sulked. 

“I don't mind,” he answered, changing Oikawa's expression from putout to thoughtful. “Keep going,” he urged, blushing a little at the prompt.

Oikawa didn't need to be told twice. 

He squeezed around the muscle again before using his fingertips to trace the visible veins around it. Iwaizumi took that moment to kiss Oikawa again, taking his lower lip between his teeth and making Oikawa’s hand momentarily stutter against Iwaizumi's upper arm before he was gripping against it for an entirely different reason.

Oikawa didn't mind the way Iwaizumi had slotted his knee between his legs, moving it every once in a while, making him feel a lot more than he thought he would that night. And he certainly didn't mind the way Iwaizumi busied himself with Oikawa's neck when his lips weren't pushed up against Oikawa's own, pressing soft kisses and light nips to the skin, breaking it easily between his teeth.

He was mumbling something against Oikawa's skin, but Oikawa's head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and he couldn't make out anything other than a sharp static noise ringing out against his eardrums. 

He felt the other man trace light kisses up and down his neck until finally settling his lips against Oikawa's clavicle and biting lightly. It was that, along with the way Iwaizumi dug his hands into Oikawa's hips before grinding up against him that had Oikawa moaning before he could stop himself. 

“Iwa-chan,” he panted, moving his head to the side so he could catch some air that wasn't the intoxicating smell of the man in front of him. “Don't go.” 

“I'm not going anywhere,” he mumbled, sucking against the protruding bone.

Oikawa shook his head. “I meant, don't go tonight. _Stay_ ,” he insisted, jerking his head up, towards the door of his apartment. 

Iwaizumi faltered at the suggestion. “I don't think that's a good idea,” he said slowly. He peeled himself off Oikawa to take in the other man's saddened expression. “And not because I don't want to – believe me, I _do_ – but you're not exactly sober,” he hesitated. 

“I know what I'm doing,” Oikawa insisted. “I'm not exactly drunk either,” he reminded. 

“Let's go out again,” Iwaizumi said suddenly. 

Oikawa raised his eyebrows. “Do you have some kind of two-date policy?” he teased. 

Iwaizumi shook his head. “I really like you, Oikawa. I told you I was going to make it up to you, so let's do this properly,” he insisted. 

Oikawa felt his throat constrict at the words. “I really like you too,” he repeated softly. 

He pulled Iwaizumi in again, relishing in the way he opened his mouth against Oikawa's immediately. He slipped his tongue in to run over Oikawa’s teeth, around his gums, suck against his own tongue. He said he didn't want to stay, but the firmness of his actions said otherwise. 

“That's not fair,” Oikawa said quietly when Iwaizumi pulled back. 

“Hmm,” he answered against Oikawa's neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses and a few nips to the pale, milky skin. 

“You say you shouldn't stay, then you do _that_ ,” Oikawa whined out against the feeling of Iwaizumi's crotch moving against his own. “You don't play fair, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa inhaled shakily. 

“Sorry, sorry, you're right,” he laughed, pulling away from Oikawa. 

“Not fair,” Oikawa repeated again. Iwaizumi kissed the pout off his face before releasing their fingers. “I should go though. I told Daichi we'd work on our project proposal tonight,” he said apologetically. 

“Betrayed by my own friend,” Oikawa sniffed dramatically. “But alright, I guess I can cope, especially because we're going out again. Just to be clear, this one _is_ a date though, right?” he narrowed his eyes. 

“The last time was supposed to be one too,” Iwaizumi defended. Oikawa glared in response. “Hey I apologized for fucking it up. But yes, this one is definitely a date,” he agreed. 

“Good,” Oikawa concluded. “I'll see you later then, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa greeted placing a swift kiss to the other man's cheek before heading towards the stairs to his apartment. He leaned down over the bannister once he was outside his door and beamed at the fact that Iwaizumi was still watching him fondly.  He waved once more before turning around to unlock the door when he realized he didn't have his keys since Kuroo had taken them from him earlier that week. 

“What's wrong?” Iwaizumi called, noticing the stall. 

“I… I don't have my keys,” Oikawa admitted embarrassedly. 

“You forgot them?”

“I didn't forget!” Oikawa insisted, walking back down the stairs towards Iwaizumi who was still rooted in the same spot as earlier. “Kuroo took them from me,” he explained. 

Iwaizumi raised his eyebrow but didn't press him further. “He's not home?”

“He is.”

“Then just knock,” Iwaizumi answered, like it was the most obvious thing to do.

“I _can't_. Kenma is also home and if they didn't notice me shouting from outside the door then they're _busy_ if you know what I mean,” Oikawa fidgeted. 

Iwaizumi's mouth fell open into an ‘o’ as Oikawa's words dawned on him. He opened his mouth to say something, stopped short at the idea, and then opened his mouth again. 

“You can stay at my place then,” he said quickly. 

Oikawa stared at him in surprise. “Really? I thought you were going tell me to go back to Suga and Daichi's,” he laughed. 

“Only because mine is closer,” he defended. In the glow of the streetlights surrounding the complex, his blush was very visible. Oikawa hid his smile behind his hands before nodding in agreement. 

“Thanks Iwa-chan, just don't try something,” he teased, much to Iwaizumi's chagrin.

“You asshole,” he huffed, turning his face to hide the blush. But he led the way to his apartment all the same. 

“I thought you had homework to do tonight? You may not know this, but Daichi's pretty scary when he's angry,” Oikawa mused after a while. “You probably don’t want to piss him off.”

“I'll tell him something came up. He'll understand," Iwaizumi insisted. He pulled out his phone to type a message before pocketing it and reaching out for Oikawa's hand. 

The action took Oikawa by surprise but he slipped his fingers between Iwaizumi's happily, tugging every so often so that their shoulders bumped. It was a kind gesture, one without any hidden meanings or connotations; it was innocent and sweet and Oikawa could never have imagined being so happy about _holding hands_ but he was.

The walk to Iwaizumi's apartment wasn't long at all but it was that scene that replayed in Oikawa’s head over and over again as he fell asleep that night, face buried in Iwaizumi’s pillows that smelled _exactly_ like him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO STATE THAT IWA-CHAN'S ARMS ARE SOMETHING TO BE MARVELLED AT ahem... *flexing emoji*
> 
> next time:  
> \- Bokuto's suspicions  
> \- a ~~real~~ second date! (huehuehue)  <\-- take what you will from that ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> leave me a comment or kudos to let me know what you thought? c:


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's still the 9th where I am but it's June 10th in Japan so... HAPPY BIRTHDAY IWA-CHAN! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
> 
> not that this was planned, but a slightly longer chapter, which I think is fitting for his birthday yay!! hope this legitimate date turns out to be what you're looking for haha

When Oikawa’s alarm rang the next morning and he woke up curled under unfamiliar grey blankets, he almost forgot how he got there. Then he heard Iwaizumi’s groan from the bed above and everything that happened last night came rushing back: his movie night with Suga, Iwaizumi walking him back to his apartment, confessing his feelings and having them returned, getting locked out of his apartment and then ending up at Iwaizumi’s place…

Not that anything happened.

And certainly not for a lack of trying on Oikawa’s part, but Iwaizumi was pretty adamant about keeping Oikawa in check. It had stung his ego a little, but he was too giddy from the alcohol and the fact that Iwaizumi _liked him_ to take it to heart.

“Oikawa, what the fuck? Turn that _off_ ,” he demanded, throwing a pillow down heavily.

“Sorry, sorry,” Oikawa apologized, quickly flicking the alarm off. He lay back against the futon for a couple more minutes before he heard the bed creak above him.

“What are you doing?” Oikawa asked, pulling the sheets off his head. He was met with the sight of Iwaizumi clad in a red t-shirt and black boxers. So his thighs _were_ firm, and not just because Oikawa had felt them between his legs yesterday. He hadn’t really gotten the chance to appreciate them last night considering Iwaizumi had set up a futon for Oikawa, after Oikawa had refused to take _his_ bed instead, and then went back to the living to continue working on his homework.

 _Workaholic_.

He gulped, blushing slightly when he noticed Iwaizumi raise his eyebrows at him. “Getting up,” he replied simply.

“But it’s still only 6 am,” Oikawa frowned. “And it’s a _Saturday_ ,” he reminded.

Iwaizumi shrugged. “I can’t sleep once I’m up,” he mumbled quickly, heading to the bathroom before Oikawa could protest. Oikawa’s face twisted in guilt as he leaned his head back down against the pillow, pulled the blankets back over his head, and groaned. Iwaizumi hadn’t _seemed_ upset at being woken up but that didn’t stop Oikawa from feeling like a jerk anyway.

He was given a few more minutes of silence before Iwaizumi opened the door to the bedroom and told Oikawa that the bathroom was free for him to use.

Oikawa hadn’t really thought about how he would get ready for the day considering all of his things were at his apartment and he still didn’t have his keys, but Iwaizumi offered him a clean shirt and sweatpants, which was all Oikawa needed to make it to work. He had a spare uniform in the employee room, which would do for the day.

What Oikawa _hadn’t_ expected was for Iwaizumi to get ready with him and leave the apartment as well, grabbing his bag on the way out.

“Where are you going?” Oikawa asked, eyes wide at the sight of Iwaizumi ready to leave at 6:40 am on a Saturday, of all days.

“You open at 7 am, right?” Oikawa nodded to confirm what he asked was true. “I’ll just study at _Coffee King_ until Daichi wakes up then,” he shrugged. “Since I ditched him yesterday, I figured I could start our project early.”

Oikawa’s eyes widened slightly. “You’re going to come to work with me?” he asked slowly, unsure whether he had heard right.

“Yes?” Iwaizumi asked uncertainly.

“Okay. Saturday mornings are pretty quiet so it’s a good time to study, anyway,” he confirmed, face melting into a soft smile. “Although if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you just wanted to spend more time with me,” Oikawa teased.

“Maybe I do,” Iwaizumi answered so seriously that Oikawa was forced to step back and tilt his head thoughtfully at the other man.

“Good,” Oikawa eventually answered, reaching for the jacket he had worn last night before remembering that was Iwaizumi’s too. “I should really give this back to you,” he laughed, even as he slipped it on.

“Hmm,” Iwaizumi agreed half-heartedly, but he didn’t give any other indication that he wanted it back otherwise.

The walk to _Coffee King_ was a little longer than it would have been had Oikawa been walking there from his own apartment, but Oikawa didn’t consider it a nuisance. Especially because Iwaizumi was walking next to him, their hands entwined with one another. Oikawa wasn’t sure who had reached for the other’s hand first, but he found that he didn’t care. Even holding hands with Iwaizumi was _nice_.

When they got to the front of the store, Iwaizumi hesitated. “Hey, go in first. I’ve got to take this call,” he waved the phone that had started vibrating in his hand.

“Okay,” Oikawa agreed, briefly wondering who was calling him so early in the morning before his eyes caught sight of the ‘ _okaasan_ ’ that flashed across his screen. The thought made Oikawa smile, and he nodded again before walking into the store.

“Hey! I didn’t know you were working today,” Bokuto greeted, smiling at Oikawa from behind the counter where he had already set up his post.

“Ah yeah, I convinced Suga to let me have my shift back,” Oikawa laughed hesitantly. “Thanks for setting up,” he motioned to the machines that were turned on.

“Are you wearing my shirt?” Bokuto asked suddenly, making Oikawa frown. He looked down at the navy shirt he had on that was a little too large on him at the shoulders because it was Iwaizumi's then back to Bokuto who was watching him with a peculiar expression on his face.

“I’m not.” Oikawa shook his head in denial. 

“That _definitely_ looks like my shirt. Look, the collar's too big on you,” he motioned, moving away from his spot to come in closer.

Bokuto pulled at the front lightly, proving that it _was_ a little wide on him. Oikawa swatted his hand away quickly, if only because he didn’t want Bokuto to see the kiss marks underneath that Oikawa had noticed embarrassedly that morning while he had been changing. 

“Just because you have this shirt doesn't mean it's yours,” Oikawa defended, stepping towards the employee room only to be pulled back by Bokuto. 

“Dude, it's okay if you took it. Just why?” he pestered. 

“ _It's not your shirt, Bokuto_ ,” Oikawa hissed, rubbing his neck to hide the flush that had appeared.

The bell above the door sounded, distracting Bokuto from pressing the matter further. “Sorry, we're not open yet,” he called over his shoulder. His back was turned to the front so he couldn't see who had entered but Oikawa's eyes softened upon seeing that it was Iwaizumi. 

“Don't listen to him, you can come in!” Oikawa beckoned, moving Bokuto aside so he could see Iwaizumi properly. 

“Ah, sorry,” Iwaizumi said, shooting an apologetic look towards them. 

“What are you apologizing for? I said you can come in,” Oikawa grinned. “Sit anywhere you like. I'll be right back. I'm going to go change,” he gestured towards the door that led to the employee room. 

Iwaizumi nodded in confirmation, which was all Oikawa waited for before heading towards his destination. He wasn't surprised when Bokuto followed him, standing behind the door once it closed with his arms crossed and a frown etched into his features. 

“So I guess it's not my shirt after all.”

“I told you it wasn't,” Oikawa said smugly. He took off the jacket and hung it in his locker before pulling out his work shirt and slacks. 

“So… I'm lost. I thought you weren't talking to him or he wasn't talking to you. I'm not really sure considering you didn't say much besides ‘ _if you ever use the word ‘friend’ again I'm going to stab you with a fork_ ’ the last time I saw you,” he quoted. 

Oikawa flushed at the memory. That had been four days ago and he hadn't seen or talked to Bokuto since, considering he had been avoiding most people all week. “Well clearly we're talking,” he gestured to the other side of the door where Iwaizumi was. 

“I can see that,” Bokuto rolled his eyes. "Why are you wearing his shirt?" he pressed, trying and failing to hide his curious smirk.

“If you must know, he let me borrow it this morning. No, _no_ , not because of whatever it is you're thinking,” Oikawa added quickly, noticing the way Bokuto’s eyebrows were steadily rising into his hairline.

“Although I wish, but he was pretty adamant about ‘doing this right’ whatever that means,” Oikawa trailed off. “But I kind of called him out last night for ditching me after what had felt like a date by passing it off as just friends hanging out. I know, it was stupid of me to do in retrospect but I was a little tipsy – you can blame Suga for that,” Oikawa explained. 

Bokuto raised his eyebrows higher, enough that they were threatening to disappear right into his hair but he didn't say anything. Oikawa pulled his work shirt over his head before continuing. 

“And then we kissed and I got locked out of my apartment and well, here we are,” he gestured around them vaguely. 

“Wow, Oikawa. I don't know whether I should be impressed by your confidence or appalled by your delivery. How'd you manage to do it?” he laughed. 

“With the help of some liquid courage that allowed me to ignore the sensible side of my brain,” he answered easily. 

“That was a rhetorical question,” Bokuto deadpanned. 

“That _was_ a serious answer though,” Oikawa grinned, buttoning up his slacks and shutting the locker closed. “Anyway, he said he wants to go out on another date so apparently last week _was_ one.” Oikawa puffed out his chest proudly. 

“I don't even know whether to be shocked by your changing moods or not anymore,” Bokuto sighed. 

“You're one to talk!” Oikawa squawked, although he couldn't help but let a little smile slip through the indignation in his voice. 

He grabbed a spare apron and slipped it over his head, tying it behind his back before he opened the door towards the store. He waited for Bokuto to head out before following. Iwaizumi looked up from his place at his table when he noticed them walk in and smiled in Oikawa's direction. Oikawa grinned back, and waved brightly before taking his place behind the counter. 

For the most part, the morning went by quickly. Every time there was a stall in the store, Oikawa found himself leaning across the counter and staring unabashedly at Iwaizumi. He looked really cute with his eyebrows scrunched up in concentration and Oikawa couldn't help but smile fondly every time he caught the sight. He even took out his phone to take a picture at one point, only to text it to Iwaizumi. He watched as the other man picked up his phone, blushed furiously at the comment that read ‘Iwa-chan’s sexy study mode’ and looked up to glare in Oikawa's direction. 

But his glare was hardly menacing when his face was so red, and it did nothing to stop Oikawa from ducking behind the counter to hide his laughter. 

“You're such a good student,” Oikawa sighed, reaching the table Iwaizumi was sitting at during his break. 

Iwaizumi looked up from his notes at Oikawa's comment. “Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?” he frowned. 

“Because you're not paying attention to me,” he pouted. The honesty took Iwaizumi by surprise but he didn’t seem put off by it so Oikawa continued, “I made you something.” He slid into the empty seat across from Iwaizumi and put the drink in his hand in front of the other man, urging him to try it. 

“What is it?”

“Iced peppermint latte,” Oikawa answered, pushing the drink further towards Iwaizumi. 

He watched Iwaizumi pick it up and take a sip through the straw before placing it back down on the table. 

“You don't like it?” Oikawa asked at the lack of reaction. 

“I didn't say that,” Iwaizumi frowned. 

“You didn't say you did either,” Oikawa argued. 

“It's a little sweet, but it's nice. Thank you,” he smiled. 

“Ah so you don't like it,” Oikawa complained, pulling the drink back towards him. He took a sip of it without Iwaizumi's permission and wrinkled his nose at the taste. “You think this is _sweet_?” he asked, shocked at the thought. 

“You don’t?” Iwaizumi laughed. 

“ _No_. Good thing I decided against the caramel one then. You weren’t lying when you said you didn’t like sweets,” Oikawa recalled, speaking more to himself than to Iwaizumi. “You're so hard to make drinks for. What do you even drink in the morning and _don't_ tell me it's that powdered instant coffee shit,” Oikawa shuddered. 

Iwaizumi opened his mouth to reply then closed it, giving Oikawa all the response he needed. “That's so gross, Iwa-chan. I refuse to let you drink that stuff anymore. You don't even know what good coffee tastes like,” Oikawa complained dramatically. 

“Oi, leave my coffee preferences out of it. We can't all be caffeine-prudes like you,” he chuckled when he was met by a loud gasp. 

“How _dare_ you,” Oikawa continued dramatically. “Next time I come over, I'm throwing all of your instant coffee out. You’re lucky I didn't see it this morning,” Oikawa scoffed. 

“Next time?” Iwaizumi asked, amused smile playing on the edge of his lips. 

“Yes, next time,” Oikawa responded confidently. However, when Iwaizumi didn't make a move to answer, his face heated up and his gaze faltered. 

“How about tonight?” Iwaizumi asked before Oikawa could think that he had said the wrong thing. 

“What?” 

“You wanna come over tonight?” Iwaizumi asked again, louder this time. 

“Like a date?” Oikawa teased. 

“Like a date,” Iwaizumi confirmed, gulping hard.

Oikawa's eyes followed the sudden dip of his Adam’s apple before he flicked them back up to meet Iwaizumi’s gaze. “Sure,” Oikawa agreed, smile and confidence back in place. “What time?”

“How’s eight sound?”

“Perfect,” Oikawa grinned. “I'll see you then,” he promised, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Iwaizumi's lips before pulling back with a wink. Iwaizumi's eyes widened at the gesture, face heating up in embarrassment. 

“ _Oikawa_ ,” he hissed, but he didn't seem angry – just a little self-conscious. Oikawa on the other hand didn't look embarrassed in the least. He waved goodbye to Iwaizumi before returning to the cash register. 

A little while later, Iwaizumi packed up his work and came over to tell Oikawa he was heading out. Oikawa wouldn't deny that he was a little disappointed by the fact that he had nowhere to look for a distraction for the rest of his shift, but he was reminded that he’d have something better when Iwaizumi confirmed their plans for that night. 

“Why is he so hot?” Oikawa sighed in admiration watching the muscles in Iwaizumi’s back flex under his shirt as he walked out of the shop. Oikawa leaned his cheek against his palm and let his elbow rest against the cool metal counter, staring at the same spot long after Iwaizumi was gone. 

“Just yesterday you hated him,” Kenma reminded quietly.

He had replaced Bokuto not too long ago, and thankfully brought along Oikawa's apartment keys with him. When he had seen Oikawa and Iwaizumi being friendlier than he had expected them to be considering Oikawa’s terrible mood before he left home last night, he had only raised his eyebrows knowingly.

“That didn't mean I didn't think he was still hot,” Oikawa defended. “I just get to appreciate it more today,” he hummed. 

“Stop drooling and get back to work,” Kenma nudged, wholly unimpressed. 

“Hey, don’t forget who the boss is here,” Oikawa pouted but he did what he was asked all the same. 

* * *

At around 7:55 pm, Oikawa checked himself in mirror one last time before heading out. He didn't know what they would be doing but if Iwaizumi had invited him over to his apartment then he figured they were staying in. 

Still, that didn't stop him from dressing up a _little_. He wore a pair of slim, navy selvedge jeans, and a plain white button down with a lighter coloured navy sweatshirt on top. It was a little heavy for the weather but Oikawa always figured he could take the sweatshirt off if he got too hot; it wasn't very thick anyway. Plus, he got cold extremely easily and much preferred to stay a little too warm than a little chilly. 

He paused at the door on his way out, contemplating whether he should grab a jacket and decided that he might as well. His fingers lingered on Iwaizumi's borrowed jacket, still inside the coat closet before they closed around the material. He pulled it on unapologetically, smiling when he noticed that it still smelled like him – that wonderful burnt orange and musk scent that made Oikawa’s toes curl.

The walk was short, barely even five minutes between their apartment complexes, and when he reached Iwaizumi's door, it was exactly eight. Oikawa paused, wondering if he should wait a few more minutes before shaking that idea from his mind and bringing his hand up to the door to knock, which opened in a matter of seconds. 

What Oikawa was expecting on the other side however, was nothing he could have imagined. 

Iwaizumi was standing in front of him wearing black running shorts and a sleeveless grey gym shirt, exposing all the muscles in his arms and legs in their sweaty, _toned_ glory. 

Oikawa stuttered, stopping himself from letting his mouth hang open at the sight. “Am I early?” he managed to ask, bringing his wrist up to glance at the time, wondering if he had made some kind of mistake in his excitement. 

“No, no, come in,” Iwaizumi moved aside to make space for Oikawa. “I was just at the gym and lost track of time. Sorry, I didn't get a chance to shower. Do you mind?” he asked sheepishly, running a hand through his already messy hair.

Oikawa shook his head, mesmerized by the way the muscles in Iwaizumi's arms flexed at the action. He had to stop himself from drooling at the visible biceps and the veins that lined them when he had his palm lifted to the back of his head. Iwaizumi seemed to have noticed Oikawa's line of sight however because he quickly lowered his arm, bright pink blush spread across his cheeks. 

“I'll be right back. There's beer in the fridge but I also have juice and water if you don't want to drink,” he offered. “I'm really sorry,” he apologized again, leading them out of the genkan. 

Oikawa shook his head. “It's okay, I really don't mind,” he insisted.

How could he when the thought of Iwaizumi giving up showering at the gym to rush over before Oikawa got there made him so excited? It was a sweet gesture, one that didn’t go unnoticed by him.

“Go shower, you smell gross,” Oikawa teased, pushing at Iwaizumi's arm lightly if only so he could get the chance to casually feel up his arm a little. 

“Don’t throw my coffee out,” Iwaizumi instructed, grinning before taking his leave.

“I can’t make any promises,” Oikawa called out, which was met by a shake of Iwaizumi’s head. Oikawa smiled to himself at the sight before moving towards the kitchen. He didn’t get a chance to take a look around last night since he’d gone straight to bed, with the exception of a few more stolen kisses before then, so he hummed at the newfound opportunity.

The entire apartment was very clean; that was the first thing Oikawa noticed. It was also very empty. Iwaizumi didn't seem to have a roommate given the single room and the lack of a second bed inside it, but Oikawa figured it was because he was new and didn't know many people, if any.

The kitchen wasn’t large, but that was expected of a one-bedroom apartment. It was filled with mismatched plates and bowls and cups, but Oikawa found that it added to the charm. He opened a couple of cabinets only to find the usual ingredients before he reached the dreaded instant coffee.

He extended his hand, tempted to actually throw it out before he withdrew his touch, realizing he was probably overstepping his boundary. He couldn't change what Iwaizumi liked and he wouldn't have wanted to anyway, so he left the coffee alone. He did however make a mental note to buy him some better stuff at some point though, in an attempt to convert him. 

Oikawa had just managed to open the fridge, clucking his tongue against the roof of his mouth at the lack of food inside when he heard the bathroom door open. “I'll be there in a few minutes,” Iwaizumi called, throwing a smile in Oikawa's direction before heading inside his bedroom. He disappeared so quickly that Oikawa didn't have the chance to fully appreciate his half naked form but it was enough to give him a glimpse of his built upper half. 

God, was everything about that man _ripped_? Oikawa almost felt on edge at the thought, unsure whether he would be able to satisfy Iwaizumi. He didn't go to the gym as often as the other man did and when he did go, he focused a lot more on cardio than weightlifting. He wasn't _unfit_ but he definitely couldn't compare either. 

The thought was cut short when the bedroom door opened and Iwaizumi stepped out, hair a little damp from his shower, but otherwise clean and clothed. He was clad in a pair of simple, dark wash jeans and a light blue button up with the sleeves artfully rolled up to his elbows. He smiled at Oikawa almost shyly, which made his heart lurch in his chest before he grinned back. 

“You changed so fast,” Oikawa remarked, impressed by the short amount of time it took Iwaizumi to go from ‘gym hunk’ to ‘date-ready hunk.’

“I'm sorry for making you wait,” he apologized again. 

Oikawa brushed the apology off with a quick wave. “Iwa-chan looks really good,” he commented, giggling when he was met with a surprised reaction. Oikawa wasn't sure whether Iwaizumi just didn't know how hot he was or if he was just that shy. 

“You do too,” he choked out. Oikawa raised his eyebrows, stifling a laugh at the pained expression on Iwaizumi's face. 

“Thanks,” he beamed in response. “So what’d you have planned for the night?”

“Honestly, I was just thinking of having takeout while watching a movie but you look so good, we can go out somewhere so your dressing up doesn't go to waste,” he blushed. 

Oikawa blushed at the honesty, before shaking his head at the suggestion. “I dressed up for _you_ ,” he reminded. “Let’s stay in.”

“You sure?” Iwaizumi asked dubiously. 

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa repeated. “Now where are your takeout menus? I'm picking,” he grinned. 

Iwaizumi didn't fight him on it. He handed all the menus he had and let Oikawa decide, happy to watch the squeal of delight Oikawa let out when he noticed what a wide selection he had to pick from. 

“You're such a good student, keeping so many of these with you,” he teased. “Let's get the squid karaage and yakisoba chicken. Oh, oh, and some mixed vegetables and steamed rice too, just for variety,” he grinned. “What do you want?” he asked placing the menu he had chosen into Iwaizumi's hand. 

“That's all for _you_?” Iwaizumi laughed. The joke wasn't even that funny but it made Oikawa smile all the same. _Cute_ , he thought every time Iwaizumi laughed.

“No, silly,” he poked Iwaizumi's cheek with a huff. “Pick what you want _too_.”

Iwaizumi looked at the menu briefly before up he picked up his phone and typed in an order. “What'd you get?” Oikawa asked when he was done. 

“Agedashi tofu.” 

“That's so _healthy_ ,” Oikawa complained. “No wonder you're more built than I am,” he sighed to himself. He wasn't quiet enough because Iwaizumi still heard him and chuckled in response. He pulled Oikawa against him before flipping the tv on. 

“What are we watching?” Oikawa asked, leaning into the touch. He rested his head against Iwaizumi's chest. It was relaxing and he couldn't help but be brutally aware of how easy it felt.

“The Lion King,” Iwaizumi's answered stiffly. “What?” he asked when he felt Oikawa laugh against him. 

“I didn't know you were a Disney fan,” Oikawa mused. 

“We can watch something else…”

“Nah, I like The Lion King. I just didn't think you would. Do you have the second one too? It's kind of romantic how the two prides come together, huh?” he sighed happily. 

“I knew you were a sap,” Iwaizumi teased, before adding, “It is a little romantic,” much to Oikawa's pleasure. 

Iwaizumi got up when the doorbell rang to signal the arrival of their takeout. Oikawa didn't like the loss of Iwaizumi's heat but when the man came back to the couch with a six-pack of beers and their dinner, Oikawa hummed happily. 

“Are you crying?” Iwaizumi teased when he heard Oikawa sniffling next to him. 

“Are you _not_?" Oikawa quivered. “Look at how lost Simba looks, and he thinks it's his fault that his father died too. That is so _sad_ , Iwa-chan,” Oikawa hiccupped.

Iwaizumi bit back a laugh but he wasn't quick enough to avoid getting heard by Oikawa. “Don't laugh at me crying,” he poked. “You big meanie.”

“Hey, hey, I'm sorry,” Iwaizumi appeased, brushing Oikawa's hair behind his ear. “I won't laugh,” he agreed, face sombre before realizing that Oikawa was joking. “You asshole, don't scare me like that,” he huffed, pushing Oikawa away slightly but he bounced back and leaned in closer. He tucked his knees up to his chin and leant his head against Iwaizumi's chest, bringing the takeout box up to his mouth to eat absentmindedly with his attention back to the movie at hand. 

It was satisfyingly comfortable and Oikawa was brought to the realization, _I really like him_ again and again throughout the night. When the movie ended and Iwaizumi put in the second one, Oikawa whined at the loss of his touch the entire time Iwaizumi was away from him. 

“So needy,” Iwaizumi muttered, but he didn't seem to mind, especially with the way he pulled Oikawa flush against him, carding his hands through his hair softly. Oikawa hummed into the touch, almost incredulously.

He couldn't believe all this was _real_ , that Iwaizumi was _real_. And he liked Oikawa; enough to invite him over for an impromptu date, to dress up for him even though they were staying in, to affectionately run his hand through his hair. 

It was _real_ and Oikawa was almost afraid of it being a dream. Iwaizumi seemed to have read his mind though because he turned his head to take another gulp of his beer before bringing the hand down and wrapping it firmly around Oikawa's waist. The added pressure soothed Oikawa's mind even if it made his heart speed up all the same. 

“Want some?” Oikawa asked, noticing that the squid was almost all gone and he had pretty much eaten all of it. 

“Sure,” Iwaizumi answered. He moved his hand from Oikawa's head to take the pair of chopsticks from Oikawa but Oikawa was already turning his head to the side and lifting his arm up to feed Iwaizumi himself. 

Iwaizumi paused at the action, but then he opened his mouth and let Oikawa place the piece of fried squid in it. He was painfully aware of Oikawa's gaze on him as he chewed. 

Oikawa watched with some kind of fascination. The movie was still playing in the background but he couldn't hear anything that was going on anymore. It was as if the world had cut off all sound that wasn't Iwaizumi. His eyes traced the bob of his Adam’s apple that moved slowly in time with Iwaizumi's swallows before he hesitantly reached forward to place a feather-light kiss on the bone. 

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said roughly, halfway through swallowing his food.

It didn't sound like a threat though, so Oikawa pressed his lips to the same spot again, harder this time before gently nibbling at the skin beneath. He felt Iwaizumi's grip around his waist tighten, making him feel bolder so he turned his head to get a better angle and kissed his neck again.

This time, he twisted his hips before burying his nose into the crook of Iwaizumi’s neck, inhaling that musky, woody, orangey scent he couldn’t seem to get enough of. “You always smell so good,” he breathed against Iwaizumi’s neck. He heard the other man’s breath hitch; Oikawa’s face turned up into a smile.

Oikawa dropped the food in his hand onto the coffee table before shifting his entire weight so that he could place his knees on either side of Iwaizumi’s thighs. He hovered above him so that the fabric of their pants bristled, but Oikawa kept his weight firmly on his knees.

He straightened his back so that Iwaizumi was forced to tilt his head to look up at him. He leaned forward, face pressed up against Oikawa’s chest just so he could drop the bottle in his hand on the coffee table as well before he was pulling back to lean his head against the back of the couch.

“Oikawa,” he said again, breath hitched when Oikawa tangled his hands in Iwaizumi’s short hair only to tilt his head up further.

Oikawa placed a soft kiss on Iwaizumi’s forehead before angling his head to place a trail of kisses along the side of his face, his cheek, along his jaw. He wanted nothing more than to shift his weight off his knees and drop down against Iwaizumi’s thighs but he loved the way Iwaizumi was staring at him, eyes glassy and lips dry, attention focused entirely on Oikawa.

He felt the other man’s hands on his ribcage before Iwaizumi started trailing them down the length of Oikawa’s torso. He was wearing too many layers of clothing to really appreciate the way Iwaizumi’s hands could make his body feel like it was on fire but it was still enough to leave a lasting warmth everywhere his fingertips grazed.

“Mmm, you know you can touch me,” Oikawa teased, dipping down to bite Iwaizumi’s chin lightly. “Like this,” he explained, releasing his hold on Iwaizumi’s hair to bring his hands on top of the other man’s. He maneuvered them so that they were placed on the edge of his sweater, right where the hem hit his pants before sliding them up, underneath the two layers of clothing he had on.

Iwaizumi blushed, but didn’t fight it, moving his hands up and down the expanse of Oikawa’s torso, letting his fingers slip between his ribs where he pressed down slightly. The feeling made Oikawa shudder and he suddenly didn’t think he could take teasing Iwaizumi anymore. “Keep going,” he urged before capturing Iwaizumi’s lips in his own.

There was none of the hesitance Oikawa had from the night before. He didn’t let Iwaizumi take the lead like he had the last time either. Instead, Oikawa pushed his lips flush against Iwaizumi’s, tilting his head so he could slot their mouths together easily.

He let his tongue roam Iwaizumi’s bottom lip, darting out to lick a line around the edges. He tasted like their takeout mixed with beer. It was slightly intoxicating if in an entirely different way from how Oikawa felt when he parted Iwaizumi’s lips and slipped his tongue inside the other man’s mouth.

Oikawa’s hands never stopped roaming, moving across Iwaizumi’s strong shoulders and back, trying to get a handle on the feeling of the taut muscle beneath him. He pressed himself down, then rolled up against Iwaizumi’s front, earning him a choked groan, which he swallowed into his mouth greedily.

“Shit, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi growled, moving away from the kiss. He leaned his head against Oikawa’s chest, breathing heavily, but his hands never came out from beneath the fabric.

The movie had stopped playing by then and the only sounds in the room were ragged breaths that echoed off the walls. Oikawa took the initiative to roll his hips down again and was satisfied when he felt a hardness rub against his thigh. He let out a content hum but before he could fully appreciate the fact that he could turn Iwaizumi on like this, he was being pushed back.

Iwaizumi kicked the coffee table with his leg before tossing Oikawa unceremoniously to the ground. Thankfully, his back landed against the rug. “ _Oh_ ,” Oikawa breathed out in surprise before Iwaizumi was toppling over the couch right on top of him. Iwaizumi grabbed Oikawa’s hands and pinned them above his head, using his elbows to support most of his weight.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whispered, moving his hips up in search of friction. He was surprised when Iwaizumi took that exact moment to grind his hips down against Oikawa’s, making him cry out in want and frustration.

“What? You thought you were the only one who could tease?” Iwaizumi asked, grinning.

“Not fair,” Oikawa complained, although the rest of his protest was forgotten when Iwaizumi ground down again, this time keeping a steady rhythm. He busied his mouth in Oikawa’s neck, moving the collar of his shirt aside to kiss along Oikawa’s clavicle before deciding that it wasn’t enough. He momentarily unpinned Oikawa’s hands to pull at Oikawa’s sweatshirt.

“ _Off_ , take it off,” he mumbled, pulling up and groaning when it got caught in his button down. “Why are you wearing so many clothes?” he asked, pressing into Oikawa’s mouth again a moment later

“Iwa-chan, you’re going to have to move if you want me to take them off,” Oikawa reminded, fresh blush caking his cheeks at the mere thought of Iwaizumi wanting him to take his clothes off. He didn’t know why he was so embarrassed when he didn’t have a problem fantasizing about it when he was alone, but somehow having the real person hovering above him had Oikawa feeling almost modest.

Iwaizumi grunted but obliged, unbuttoning his own shirt while waiting for Oikawa to pull off his sweater and unbutton the shirt he had on underneath.

Iwaizumi didn’t wait very long once the offending article of clothing was out of the way. He traced his lips across Oikawa’s exposed chest, licking playfully around his nipples before moving down to trail kisses along his sternum. When he reached below Oikawa’s navel, his hands moved to his pants. Oikawa caught his hesitation when Iwaizumi’s fingers lingered a little too long at the button.

“I told you, you can touch me,” Oikawa reminded. Iwaizumi didn’t hesitate after that.

“You too,” he said once he had pulled Oikawa’s pants open. He dragged at the sides to try and lower them off of his hips.

“What?” Oikawa asked, too dazed with running his hands along the smooth lines of Iwaizumi’s abs to really pay much attention to anything else.

“Touch me,” Iwaizumi elaborated. “You can touch me too,” he mumbled the last part a little quieter than the first thanks to the bout of embarrassment that had taken over.

Oikawa smiled gently. He nodded his head before pinching open the button of Iwaizumi’s dark jeans. He didn’t wait for Iwaizumi to shimmy off the jeans. He paused only until he could see the tent in his boxer briefs appear between the open zipper before he palmed him through the material.

“ _Shit_ ,” Iwaizumi hissed at the touch. He hastened his pace and pulled Oikawa’s boxer briefs off too, baring him in all his naked glory.

Oikawa wasn’t sure if he should have been ashamed but all he felt was a sense of pride when he saw the way Iwaizumi was hungrily staring at him. He followed Iwaizumi’s lead and tugged his pants the rest of the way down his hips before jerking his underwear down too. But not before letting his hands linger on Iwaizumi’s behind, squeezing his ass firmly between his hands. That earned him another low growl, making his eyes light up.

Oikawa let out a hum of delight but that turned into a moan when he felt Iwaizumi wrap a hand around his stiff cock before he pumped his hand around it. Slow and loose at first, but suddenly his hand tightened around the head making Oikawa scream out in pleasure. “Shit, _shit_. Iwa-chan, keep going,” he urged.

He was overcome with a sudden sense of déjà vu; the memory of Oikawa back in his room flooded his vision. He squeezed his eyes shut, blinking the image away. There was no use thinking of a made up memory when he had the _real_ Iwaizumi Hajime right in front of him. His hand felt even better than Oikawa imagined it would, wrapped around him like that. His thumb brushed the slit, smearing a bit of the precum around the head, making it easier for Iwaizumi to build a rhythm.

It felt good. _Really good_.

But not as good as how it felt when Iwaizumi loosened his grip on Oikawa’s embarrassingly leaky cock only to take Oikawa’s hand and place it on top of himself. Oikawa didn’t have the chance to ask what he was doing before Iwaizumi had slid his own hardness between Oikawa’s palm.

Iwaizumi’s hand _definitely_ felt good, but his hard cock sliding alongside Oikawa’s felt _so much_ better. Oikawa was mesmerized by the way the different coloured heads looked against one another; his a flushed pink and Iwaizumi’s a darker red.

The contrast between the roughness of Iwaizumi’s palm against Oikawa’s hand, guiding his hand along their entwined cocks, along with the way Iwaizumi felt against him had Oikawa keening into his own hand. “Iwa-chan, I don’t think I’m going to last very long,” he admitted. It was embarrassing but it was the truth and Oikawa didn’t want to come without any warning.

Luckily for him, Iwaizumi didn’t seem to have much left in him either. He sped up the pace he had set, enough to make Oikawa squeeze his eyes shut and savour the feeling of immense pleasure, amplified by Iwaizumi’s own cock still thrusting against his.

He felt precum slip down his length and spread over his stomach obscenely; he wasn’t even sure whose it was anymore but frankly, he didn’t care. Iwaizumi’s hand stuttered a little to accommodate around the wetness but it wasn’t long before he was coming, panting a couple moans right into Oikawa’s ear as he did.

“So good, Oikawa, you feel _so good_ ,” he muttered, continuing to move his hand against their flushed cocks. Oikawa wasn’t sure whether he was more turned on by the touch or by the words, but it didn’t even matter because he was spilling over himself alongside Iwaizumi.

He loved the way Iwaizumi still had his hand holding Oikawa’s in place over their now spent cocks. He loved the way the other man buried his head into Oikawa’s neck and inhaled a deep breath, tongue darting out to lick and suck at his slightly sweaty skin. He loved how _good_ he felt, and it was just from a goddamn handjob.

He had been right. The real Iwaizumi was so much better than the one from his imagination. He never thought getting jerked off by him would make Oikawa feel so satisfied, but he was. He sighed against the touch, running his clean hand through Iwaizumi’s short hair. Eventually, Iwaizumi shifted so he could roll off Oikawa.

They lay against the rug for a while, breathing in and out, deeply. Oikawa’s lips twitched up into a smile; he couldn’t believe how happy Iwaizumi made him.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whispered breaking the silence between them. He turned to press a soft kiss into Iwaizumi’s bare shoulders.

“Hnngh,” he grunted in response.

“I’m tired. Carry me, please?” he asked.

“No way,” he shook his head. Oikawa pouted in response. Iwaizumi squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from Oikawa’s widened brown irises.

“Please?” He pressed another kiss to his shoulder. “Please?” He kissed a little closer to the inside of his chest, on his clavicle. “Please?” He kissed the base of his throat. “Please?” Oikawa continued repeating the words, placing a new kiss along Iwaizumi’s body every time.

“ _Fine_ ,” he groaned eventually, rolling over to his side before propping himself up on one knee. Oikawa reached his arms out instinctively and Iwaizumi scooped Oikawa up before pushing himself up off the ground. Oikawa wrapped his arms tight around Iwaizumi’s neck and rested his face comfortably in his shoulder.

“ _Yay_ ,” Oikawa cried happily once he was in Iwaizumi’s arms. “You’re not going to make me sleep on the floor tonight, are you?” Oikawa frowned when Iwaizumi kicked the door to his bedroom open. “Because I let you touch my dick and I think that more than qualifies me being able to sleep in your bed tonight,” he continued.

“What the fuck, Oikawa?” Iwaizumi asked, embarrassed and red-faced. But he didn’t protest. He dropped Oikawa on the bed before turning around, much to Oikawa’s frustration.

“Oh, _no_. Where do you think you’re going? I meant I want to sleep on the bed _with_ you.” He sat up with a new energy he didn’t even know he had left.

“Relax, I’m going to go the bathroom. It’ll be harder to scrub off in the morning if you don’t get some of it off now,” he gestured vaguely to Oikawa’s naked front.

Oikawa’s face lit up, but he didn’t say anything else. He watched Iwaizumi leave briefly, then come back only a few moments later with a wet towel as well as a dry one. He tossed the dry one across Oikawa’s face, which earned him a smack to the arm and a withering look. But Oikawa’s expression was fleeting when the next moment he felt Iwaizumi lean across the bed and carefully wipe Oikawa’s still-sensitive cock before moving to clean up his stomach.

The touch was gentle and the action even more so. It had Oikawa at a loss for words, but Iwaizumi didn’t even bat an eye. He moved the then dirty, wet towel aside before using the dry one to soak up any water left on Oikawa’s skin.

He left the room again to get rid of the dirty towels. When he came back, he dug through his drawers and pulled on a clean pair of boxers before throwing a spare one to Oikawa. When Oikawa didn’t budge however, he picked the article off his bed, and gently nudged Oikawa’s legs until he let Iwaizumi slip the boxers on him.

“Lift up a little,” he asked, sliding the material up, over Oikawa’s ass.

“ _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa sighed against the touch. “Thank you,” he whispered, rolling over to let Iwaizumi crawl into the empty space when he was done.

Iwaizumi’s bed wasn’t large by any means but it was comfortable, and Oikawa had never slept so well as he had, cuddling against the man next to him, basking in his smell, which was now mixed with sex and sweat. Oikawa didn’t find that he minded the addition at all. In fact, it made him dig his face deeper into Iwaizumi’s chest, to wrap his legs tighter against him and to drape his arm around Iwaizumi’s waist.

He almost feared that he was hogging all of Iwaizumi’s personal space, until he felt the other man reach up to trace patterns on Oikawa’s bare hip with one hand before placing the other firmly on his back.

“Goodnight, Iwa-chan,” he mumbled happily.

“Goodnight, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi replied back. The smile in his voice made Oikawa want to roll around in glee, but he consented to squeezing Iwaizumi tighter within his grasp, a happy smile in place, as he fell asleep with the knowledge that Iwaizumi wanted him there just as much as Oikawa wanted to _be_ there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I for sure didn't plan the sequence of chapters out this way but I guess hbd in more ways than one, eh Iwa-chan? *sweats*
> 
> last week I was volunteering at the hospital and one of the older patients asked me "so what do you do in your free time?" and I told her that I write and she was like "oh, do you let anyone read your work?" and I was like "uh... hahahaha, yeah... people on the internet..." and she was like "that's nice, what do you write?" LMAO HOW DO I ANSWER THAT AFTER THIS CHAPTER? I feel like I owe her, my parents, and God an apology but oh boy, this isn't even the worst of it ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> next time:  
> \- fluff, fluff, fluff  
> \- Iwa-chan's intimidating but oh so adorable 
> 
> I love hearing your thoughts! ♥︎


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to take this moment to thank every single one of you who has been w/ me, whether it's from the beginning or just now for taking the time to read my fic and for supporting me w/ your comments, kudos, and generally your love!! ♡ THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU! I mean, seriously 600+ kudos, 100+ bookmarks... I'm floored. 
> 
> honestly, I've gotten some super sweet asks on tumblr (shameless self-promo [here](http://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/) lmao) and incredibly kind comments here!! ahhhh, I feel so lucky and blessed to have such amazing people supporting me! c:
> 
> this chapter is kind of a transition chapter but it builds on Iwaizumi and Oikawa's budding relationship so I hope you enjoy it all the same!! full of tooth rotting fluff and cuteness haha.

When Oikawa woke up the next morning, feeling happy and comfortable, he was met with the sight of a steadily sleeping Iwaizumi next to him. Oikawa blinked his eyes a few times, adjusting to the brightness that made its way into the room through light grey curtains, before smiling at the sight next to him.

He tilted his head to get a better angle, and his smile immediately widened.

Iwaizumi was lying on his back, left leg spread out across the bed, while his right was still tangled between Oikawa's own legs and the blankets that they had managed to twist around themselves in their sleep. He had his right arm under Oikawa's neck, which was impressive because Oikawa was sure that if that was him, his arm would have been dead by then, and his left arm was placed firmly on Oikawa's hip.

The grip wasn't tight but it was strong enough to be considered more than just a fleeting touch. 

His eyes trailed across Iwaizumi’s bare chest, littered with the marks Oikawa had left on him last night, which rose steadily as he breathed in and out. Oikawa was suddenly grateful that he had woken up before Iwaizumi had – he wasn't sure when he would get another chance to stare so unabashedly, so _unreservedly_ at the man sleeping next to him. 

He smiled, bringing his right hand up to lightly trace nonsense patterns across Iwaizumi’s pecs. He paused when he felt the man rustle a bit but he just tightened the grip he had on Oikawa's hip before seemingly falling back into a state of deep sleep. 

The room was warm, and Iwaizumi even warmer. The quiet chirping of birds outside made the scene almost picturesque and Oikawa had to do everything in his power from rolling around and squeezing Iwaizumi tight between his arms.

Oikawa had never seen Iwaizumi from this angle so he took the opportunity to drink in the sight of him. His short, dark hair that flopped across his head, sticking out slightly at the top from the way he was sleeping. His tan skin that was so smooth and even, and made Oikawa want to touch every exposed bit. The sharp lines of his jaws, the way his chin was starting to sport some stubble on his otherwise unmarked face.

He was all strong lines, sinewy, rugged, and so very _handsome_. 

Oikawa boldly traced his hands higher, until they reached Iwaizumi's jaw. He touched the growing stubble there, shivering against the way the rough hair felt along his fingertips. He continued upwards, slowly tracing over Iwaizumi's closed eyelids that fluttered lightly at the touch, before dragging his hands down across Iwaizumi’s cheek.

He stirred again, but thankfully, he didn't wake. 

After a while of getting lost in Iwaizumi's steady heartbeat and his stunning features, Oikawa gently pried himself away from the man. He carefully removed Iwaizumi’s hand from his hip and untangled their entwined legs. He adjusted the blankets so they were covering Iwaizumi’s legs properly, in the chance that he was cold.

Oikawa tried to be as subtle as possible but Iwaizumi must have been a deep sleeper because he didn't wake, even when Oikawa's weight lifting off the bed caused a sudden rise in the mattress. 

Or maybe he was just really tired.

Oikawa _had_ woken him up early the previous day and they hadn't gone to bed till past midnight, which wasn't all that late but considering Iwaizumi had spent the entire day studying, then at the gym, Oikawa could understand the exhaustion he had probably been feeling. 

He hesitated by the drawers, wondering if he should pull out a shirt or something but he didn't want to push his luck. So far, Iwaizumi hadn't woken but he'd hate for the other man to do so now on his account. He ditched the idea of wearing more clothes, settling on going outside in his borrowed boxers alone. 

The hallway was cold, considerably so when compared to the heat that Iwaizumi's body gave off. Oikawa shivered against the new feeling, regretting not taking at least a t-shirt to put on when he had the chance.

He gingerly picked up his clothes from the previous night, contemplating putting them back on, but his body still felt sticky and he didn't exactly want to dress himself. So, he settled on pulling the throw blanket draped across the couch over himself instead. 

He knew he looked a little silly, all wrapped up in the blue-grey wool blanket. It had tiny tassels around the edges that dangled next to Oikawa's legs but the blanket was soft and warm, large enough to cover his body, and that was all that he needed for the time being.

He pulled it around his shoulders and hummed at the softness, nuzzling his face into the wool for a few happy seconds. The feeling of contentment didn't last long however, once Oikawa took in the state of the living room.

He felt guilty, considering he had been the one to initiate something _more_ , so he bent down to pick up the thrown clothes and place them on the couch. He busied himself with cleaning the empty or half-eaten boxes of takeout, sorting what was still good into tupperware he found in Iwaizumi’s kitchen cabinets, and placing the leftover food in the fridge. He pushed the coffee table back on the rug where it belonged and collected the empty beer bottles before tossing those out too. 

Oikawa was glad he had only had two to drink over a span of a few hours. Any more and he would have been feeling way less in control last night and far less chipper this morning. 

He was just in the middle of folding their clothes into a neat pile, even though he knew he would just throw his in the wash when he got home, when Iwaizumi walked out.

Oikawa looked up from his task at the sound of the bedroom door opening, followed by soft footsteps, only to see Iwaizumi's yawning face come into view. He was still clad in his boxers from last night but he had donned a t-shirt as well before coming out.

Suddenly, Oikawa was grateful he had the throw blanket wrapped around himself. 

Iwaizumi looked sleepy still, but he smiled when he saw Oikawa. “What are you doing?” he asked amusedly, eyes flitting between the half-folded pile of clothes on the couch to Oikawa who was hovering over them.

“Cleaning. It was so messy in here and I felt bad for being the one to cause it,” Oikawa explained. The living room looked _much_ better than it had when he first woke up.

“You didn't have to do that. Besides, it wasn't all your doing.” Iwaizumi moved towards Oikawa, wrapping his hands around Oikawa's waist to pull him in closer. Oikawa yelped at the sudden tug and blushed that such a sound even came out of his mouth. 

Iwaizumi didn't seem displeased though. He smiled, halfway between a smirk, and placed his head on Oikawa's shoulder. “Why'd you have to wake up so early? It's not even 8 am yet,” he sighed, voice muffled by the blanket. “And why are you wearing _this_?” he laughed, pulling away to get a better look at Oikawa’s choice of outfit.

He wolf whistled jokingly, and Oikawa felt his face heat up. It wasn’t like Iwaizumi could actually _see_ anything but the action still made him blush. Iwaizumi gently tugged at the blanket and it slipped a little, exposing Oikawa's right shoulder. 

“I'm just programmed this way,” Oikawa grinned through his embarrassment. “As for this,” he shook his body a little, letting the tassels on the throw blanket tap against his legs. “I was cold and I didn't want to wake you up by searching through your clothes.”

“Hmm, I know a better way to warm up,” Iwaizumi mumbled, not quite letting go.

“Yeah?” Oikawa asked breathily.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi confirmed. “Let's take a shower,” he said, running his palms over Oikawa’s covered arms. The action caused static to build up in the blanket and Oikawa felt a little shock run through him, that wasn’t entirely due to the friction.

Oikawa pulled back to look at him. “Right now? You mean _together_?”

Iwaizumi chuckled at the question. “Yes, to both.” When Oikawa didn't answer right away however, his face shifted uncertainly. “I mean, you don't have to–“

“No,” Oikawa cut him off. “I do,” he smiled. “I just didn't know you wanted to,” he admitted, taking his bottom lip between his teeth and chewing on it self-consciously.

Iwaizumi served him a deadpan look. “Why are you being shy _now_? Shit, don't worry me like that.” The last part was muttered under his breath but Oikawa was standing so close to him that he heard it all. What Oikawa could have worried him for was a mystery, but the statement made him feel happy all the same. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Oikawa apologized sheepishly. “Let's go shower,” he placated, dropping the blanket to pool around his feet.

He grinned when he saw Iwaizumi's eyes rake across his almost naked body. His grin only widened when he felt a stiffness press up against his thigh, knowing that Iwaizumi appreciated the sight even if he wasn’t vocal about it. 

Oikawa didn't get a chance to make a teasing remark about Iwaizumi's state, however. Iwaizumi had pulled himself off Oikawa, turned around, grabbed his wrist, and marched them straight towards the bathroom without another word. 

* * *

Iwaizumi was surprisingly gentle for someone who was so muscly and had such a deep, gruff voice. It was a nice contrast and Oikawa liked it, even if it was unexpected. Although after how kind Iwaizumi had been last night, Oikawa supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised by Iwaizumi’s tenderness.

He had carefully soaped up Oikawa's body, massaged his scalp, gently washed his hair, and cleaned off any remains of their night from his stomach. He may have also paid a little _too much_ attention than was necessary to his dick, but Oikawa couldn’t complain when he came away _very_ clean.

The touch was light but it left Oikawa feeling like he had been gripped tightly by the other man all the same. 

He loved the tingling feeling Iwaizumi’s hands left all over him. 

He also loved looking at Iwaizumi's chest and seeing the purple marks he'd left there, knowing he had some matching ones too. He couldn’t help but pay extra attention to those when it was his turn to clean off Iwaizumi, pressing down against them purposely, only to have Iwaizumi glare at him half-heartedly in response.

When they were done, which took considerably longer than it should have thanks to Iwaizumi's morning wood – not that Oikawa minded at all – they dried off and headed towards the kitchen. 

Iwaizumi had let Oikawa borrow another pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. The sweatpants hung low on his hips so that the length was right, but the shirt was a little too wide on his shoulders just like the last one had been. Iwaizumi may have been a few centimetres shorter than him, but his broad chest and arms more than made up for it.

“I'm going to end up stealing all your clothes at this rate,” Oikawa joked after he had pulled on the clean sweatpants and t-shirt. “I still have the ones you let me borrow yesterday. Plus, I have your jacket.”

“That's fine,” Iwaizumi waved off, moving towards the fridge to take out whatever ingredients he could find. It wasn't exactly full but it wasn't necessarily bare either, and although he realized he should probably stock up again soon, there was enough to make an omelette at least. He sorted through the cupboards until he found the rice cooker, turning it on and putting in half a cup of rice and enough water to cook.

“I'll bring them back after I wash them,” Oikawa promised. “And the jacket can stay here today since it's warm out,” he added. 

“Keep it,” Iwaizumi muttered, busying himself with chopping vegetables for the omelette.

“I can't do that! It looks expensive,” Oikawa mumbled embarrassedly.

Iwaizumi paused, putting the knife down before turning around to look at Oikawa squarely. “You look good in it,” he shrugged, moving back to his task like he _hadn't_ just made such a sincere comment. If it wasn't for the fact that Oikawa could see that the tips of Iwaizumi's ears had turned red, he might have thought that the words hadn't come out of his mouth at all. 

Oikawa nodded, mumbling a quiet “Okay.”

He hovered around Iwaizumi, watching him cook for a little while, trying his best _not_ to distract Iwaizumi because he was holding a knife and Oikawa didn’t want him to accidently cut himself, until the other man ordered Oikawa to go set the table.

“Iwa-chan, there's no coffee in your apartment,” Oikawa complained once they had sat down at the small table to eat. He scooped out a bowl of rice for Iwaizumi before filling one up for himself too, while Iwaizumi divided up the omelette between them.

“Yes there is,” Iwaizumi laughed. 

“You know full well that instant coffee is _not_ coffee,” he wrinkled his nose in distaste.

Iwaizumi shook his head at the display but didn’t comment, instead busying himself with eating his breakfast.

“Lets go to the store after this,” Oikawa suggested. 

“Don't you have homework or something? Or do you just live and breathe that store?” Iwaizumi asked, raising his eyebrows. Oikawa couldn’t help but blush at the comment. For someone that he had gone out on only two dates with, one of which he wasn’t even sure _was_ a date until a week later, Oikawa had sure spent a lot of time with Iwaizumi already.

He was suddenly aware that maybe Iwaizumi didn’t want to spend so much time with him, and that he was avoiding answering the question in an attempt to brush it off.

“I'm a good student! Very on top of things!” he huffed, mildly offended by the accusation. “I mostly have essays and plans to write, long-term stuff rather than all your weekly assignments, quizzes, and labs,” Oikawa answered seriously. “At least until midterms and finals roll around.”

“Huh, maybe I should have gone into business management too,” Iwaizumi teased. 

“Are you saying my major is easy?” Oikawa narrowed his eyes dangerously. “You're so mean,” he wailed when Iwaizumi shrugged nonchalantly, neither confirming nor denying Oikawa’s accusation. Oikawa dropped his chopsticks on the table with a clatter and pushed his chair back to stand up abruptly. 

“Where are you going?” Iwaizumi asked suddenly. 

“Home,” Oikawa responded angrily. 

“ _Why_?” 

“Because Iwa-chan thinks I'm stupid. Sorry we can’t all be engineers,” he muttered angrily. Oikawa knew he was overreacting but the idea that Iwaizumi didn’t want him to stay had worked him up a little. He was overthinking things, letting the doubt in his mind take over the rational side, and while he understood this, he couldn’t stop himself from doing something brash.

“I never said that. Hey, Oikawa come on, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been a dick about what you're studying,” Iwaizumi apologized standing up as well. He reached out and held on to Oikawa's hand – not so tightly that Oikawa couldn't break away from it if he wanted to, but firm enough to show that he didn't want Oikawa to leave.

“I don't think you're stupid,” he added sincerely. And just like that, the doubt had been washed away and replaced with a calm reassurance.

“Make it up to me,” Oikawa insisted. 

“Okay,” Iwaizumi agreed easily. “Tell me how and I will,” he promised earnestly. Oikawa almost felt guilty at the look of distress on Iwaizumi’s face but he couldn’t let an opportunity like that go to waste. 

“Buy better coffee,” he grinned. 

Iwaizumi blinked up at him for a few seconds before he groaned and released his grip on Oikawa's hand, only to bury his head in his palms. “You're fucking nuts,” he said into his hands after a while, but Oikawa could hear him smiling through the statement. 

“You still like me,” Oikawa said matter-of-factly. 

He had mostly been joking but he would have been lying if he said his heart didn't speed up at the sincere “Yeah, I do,” Iwaizumi uttered in response. 

Oikawa grinned before sitting back down to finish his breakfast. He felt Iwaizumi's legs tangle between Oikawa's own, locking their limbs together. He wasn't sure if it was to prevent Oikawa from getting up so abruptly again or because he just wanted the touch. Either way, it improved his mood and the rest of breakfast went by without a hitch. 

When they were done, Iwaizumi washed the dishes while Oikawa begged him to go to _Coffee King_ with him. He pleaded, placing his chin on Iwaizumi’s shoulder and pressing soft kisses to the back of his neck until Iwaizumi begrudgingly agreed. Although he didn’t look as annoyed with the idea, as his tone of voice seemed to imply.

Oikawa promised that he'd get him something he liked this time and that he’d make sure it wasn’t anything sweet since Iwaizumi seemed to have an aversion to the flavour. 

They stopped at Oikawa’s apartment on their way to the store so that Oikawa could change into something that wasn’t an ill-fitting shirt and sweatpants. He liked Iwaizumi’s clothes, and they smelled _really_ nice, but that didn’t mean he would wear them outside.

At least, not the at-home ones that he had been donning in his apartment. Iwaizumi didn’t seem to mind though, and he waited patiently on Oikawa’s couch, surfing channels on the tv, while Oikawa changed into a pair of white jeans, and a navy and white striped long-sleeved shirt.

“Oikawa, you asshole. You haven't answered any of my messages for _two days_ ,” Suga shrieked when he saw Oikawa enter _Coffee King_. 

The regular customers near the front looked up at the shout but otherwise ignored it, moving back to their own conversations. Oikawa had a feeling that people who visited the store often were starting to get used to the loudness of the employees.

But whether that was a problem he should have been concerned with was forgotten when he saw Suga’s pissed expression. He knew he would have to face Suga eventually, but after storming out of his apartment rather rudely on Friday night, Oikawa had been avoiding his friend.

“I'm _sorry,”_ he squeaked in apology, crouching behind Iwaizumi. “Please don’t hurt me.” He shamelessly used the other man as a shield. Iwaizumi scoffed at the display, but didn’t push Oikawa out from behind him.

“You'll be lucky if that's the only thing I do. Stop hiding behind Iwaizumi and face me,” he raged, before seemingly turning his anger towards Iwaizumi instead. “And _you_ ,” he pointed his index finger at Iwaizumi. “Why are you guys in here _together_? So early in the morning?” Suga asked suspiciously. 

“They were here together yesterday morning too!” Bokuto yelled unhelpfully from the front. 

“Bokuto, you traitor!” Oikawa whined, feeling completely betrayed. 

Iwaizumi gulped at having been addressed so suddenly. “Daichi knew.” 

Suga paused. “ _What_?” 

“I told Daichi I was with Oikawa yesterday morning and last night,” he supplied. Suga's anger seemed to have only increased with that, but at least his attention was off of them. He turned away to pace the front, muttering something about ‘stupid boyfriends.’

Oikawa moved Iwaizumi aside while Suga was busy. “That was so savage throwing Daichi under the bus like that but I’m sure glad that Suga isn't directing his anger at us anymore,” he said quietly, steering Iwaizumi to the opposite end of the store.

“Your friends are interesting,” Iwaizumi chuckled. 

“They're sometimes a little too much to handle,” Oikawa apologized sheepishly. Iwaizumi didn't seem genuinely concerned, however. “I promise they’re not always as crazy as this.” He wasn’t sure why he was apologizing or even trying to defend them, but he wanted Iwaizumi to like them just as much as he did.

And he wanted _them_ to like Iwaizumi as well.

“Relax, Oikawa. I like them,” he stated, making Oikawa frown. He didn’t like the way Iwaizumi was able to read him so well, especially after only knowing him for less than two weeks, but the thought was soon forgotten.

“Good morning Oikawa-san,” Yachi greeted when Oikawa approached her queue. “And uhm, I’m sorry, I don’t know who you are,” she apologized, addressing Iwaizumi.

“That’s fine,” Iwaizumi stated, lifting his hands up to wave the matter off. The action made Yachi yelp so loudly that Iwaizumi was forced to step back. He looked confusedly between the jittery barista and Oikawa who was doubled over in laughter, one hand clutched around his stomach while his other supported his weight against the counter.

“What the fuck, Trashykawa, quit laughing,” he growled in embarrassment, making Yachi squeal again. “Sorry, sorry,” he apologized addressing the young girl who was staring at Iwaizumi, bug-eyed and honestly, a little frightful.

Oikawa wasn’t sure why but the apology made him laugh harder. He could feel tears threatening to slip out, but he managed to compose himself, if only because Iwaizumi looked like he really was starting to get angry, and that was the last thing Oikawa wanted to make the other man feel.

Or maybe he was just embarrassed.

Oikawa couldn’t really tell when his face was pulled down into a severe frown, eyebrows scrunched together furiously. His jaw was set squarely and he was glaring at Oikawa, eyes turning a darker shade of green.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Oikawa said, standing up straight. He moved forward to brush his thumbs along the length of Iwaizumi’s eyebrows until the man stopped furrowing them. “You’ll get wrinkles on your handsome face,” he smiled, making Iwaizumi push his hands away quickly in embarrassment.

Yachi on the other side of the register squeaked again, red-faced. Her eyes had gone wider, if that was even possible, at the display. “Uhm w– what can I g– get you?” she asked, avoiding eye contact with either of them.

“Two medium Americanos,” Oikawa beamed. “Oh, do you think you can brew it using the new Ethiopian beans we got the other day?” he smiled.

“Uhm,” Yachi hesitated. Oikawa forgot that she was still in training. “I don’t want to ruin them, but I can ask Suga-san to help,” she offered.

“No, no that’s fine. I’ll test them out myself tomorrow. Use whatever we have brewing right now then,” he decided, flashing Yachi a reassuring smile. She returned it shyly before turning around to prepare their orders. When she came back, Oikawa noticed her hands were a little shaky but at least the cups were dry, which he concluded was progress.

“Thanks, Yacchan!” He paid for their orders and grabbed the cups off the counter, slipping two sleeves around them in the process.

He handed one to Iwaizumi, who accepted the drink and followed behind Oikawa as he led them to an open, rounded table near the window. “Don’t burn your tongue,” Iwaizumi chided when Oikawa immediately opened the lid to take a sip.

“Don’t worry about me, I’m used to it,” he grinned before bringing his cup up to his mouth to drink more of the burning liquid.

Iwaizumi watched him hesitantly but seemingly decided that Oikawa wasn’t in any danger, even if he _was_ a little crazy for being able to drink such scalding liquids.

“Don’t look so tense. The cream cools it down,” he smiled reassuringly.

“When did you even put cream in it?” Iwaizumi frowned.

“I didn’t – Yachi knows what I like,” he beamed proudly.

“You gave me shit for drinking instant coffee and here you are, ruining perfectly good brew with your cream,” Iwaizumi laughed.

“I didn’t _ruin_ it with my cream and caramel shot,” Oikawa huffed.

“ _Caramel_ – you know what, never mind,” Iwaizumi chuckled, shaking his head lightly. Oikawa puffed his cheeks out childishly, but that only made Iwaizumi laugh harder. When Oikawa caught sight of his deep dimples, he couldn’t help but let his face melt to match the smile on Iwaizumi’s.

Oikawa watched him blow on his own drink before setting it aside to cool. He took the chance to slide his foot between Iwaizumi’s calves and rubbed against them slightly. He was rewarded by a pink blush on Iwaizumi’s face, even though Iwaizumi had done the very same thing only about an hour ago back in his apartment.

“Does she not like me?” Iwaizumi asked, trying to ignore the feeling of Oikawa’s legs against his. He jerked his head in Yachi’s direction.

Oikawa shook his head. “She’s just shy,” he explained. “And probably a little intimidated. You’re scary when you frown and your muscles are so big,” Oikawa grinned, basking in the way Iwaizumi’s face flushed again.

“Ah well tell her I’m sorry when you talk to her. She seems to like you at least.” He pointedly ignored the comment about his frown and his muscles.

“Jealous?” Oikawa asked teasingly.

“Nope,” Iwaizumi shook his head.

Oikawa’s face fell slightly. “Aww no fair, you answered that so quickly,” he pouted.

“Why would I be jealous when I know I can do this?” he asked, leaning in to peck Oikawa’s lips lightly, pulling away before anyone could see.

It was a simple gesture but it made Oikawa flush all the same. He spluttered, pushing Iwaizumi’s face away from his. He had done the exact same thing to Iwaizumi yesterday so he wasn’t sure why he was embarrassed, but when Iwaizumi took him aback like that he suddenly turned humble. Something about the unexpected, especially when it came to Iwaizumi made him lose his composure.

“Iwa-chan, I can’t tell if you’re being sincere or trying to get back at me somehow. Is this because I made you promise to get rid of your instant coffee? Or is it because I made you come to the store with me?” he asked suspiciously.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Just accept the compliment, you idiot.” He flicked Oikawa’s forehead lightly before standing up, sliding his coffee cup towards him.

“Where are you going?” Oikawa frowned. All he had asked Iwaizumi to do was go to _Coffee King_ with him, so it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Iwaizumi stood up to leave. Still, Oikawa’s heart plummeted a little with disappointment at the sight.

“Library. I’m meeting up with Daichi to review for our quiz tomorrow and then finish preparing for our presentation,” he explained. “Sorry, I know it’s a Sunday but I’ve got to study,” he apologized.

“Study here,” Oikawa insisted. “I won’t bother you, I have a shift this afternoon, so I’ll be out of your way. I’ll even give you free coffee,” Oikawa bargained, flashing a wide grin.

Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows before shaking his head in denial. “I can’t,” he said apologetically. Oikawa’s grin fell off his face at the gesture, but was replaced by a blush following Iwaizumi’s explanation. “I’d just keep looking at you,” he added quietly.

The only evidence that the words had even come out of his mouth was the way the tips of Iwaizumi’s ears had turned red.

“I guess you really do like me,” Oikawa chuffed.

“Of course I do,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “But I do have to go. I’m sorry.”

Oikawa pouted but he didn’t fight his selfish wants. “Okay, you should text me when you’re free,” he suggested. “And don’t forget to tell me what you thought of the coffee this time!” he reminded.

Iwaizumi’s lips quirked up in a smile. “You don’t have to wait for me to not be busy to text me, you know. I don’t mind,” he added.

Oikawa looked up hesitantly. He had already been afraid that he was becoming overbearing but hearing Iwaizumi tell him that he didn’t mind getting messages from Oikawa even when he was busy studying made Oikawa’s stomach roll in delight.

“Really? I won’t be bothering you?” he asked, despite himself. He needed to make sure though that this was what Iwaizumi wanted as much as Oikawa did.

“I told you that you could, didn’t I?” Iwaizumi repeated. He was still sporting that amused smile and it made Oikawa feel self-conscious because of how easy and sincere it looked on his face.

“Yeah, okay,” Oikawa nodded in agreement. “Good luck with all your schoolwork, Iwa-chan,” he smiled charmingly. He lifted his hand to wave goodbye but Iwaizumi swooped down to hold it in his before using it as leverage to bring Oikawa’s face close. His kiss this time was languid and slow, nothing like the peck earlier, and Oikawa felt his face heat up embarrassedly when Iwaizumi pulled away.

“What was that for?” Oikawa stuttered.

“I’ll see you later, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi smiled. He turned away from the table, then paused and turned back around. “Oh yeah, we’re going to the gym this evening, if you want to come.”

“Who’s ‘we’?” Oikawa asked disgruntled.

“Just Daichi and I,” he chuckled.

Oikawa wrinkled his nose in thought, then shrugged noncommittally. “Maybe,” he answered, but both Oikawa and Iwaizumi seemed to know that the answer was ‘no.’

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go to the gym with Iwaizumi… he just didn’t want to go with him _and_ Daichi considering they would _definitely_ outdo him and Oikawa wasn’t ready to be embarrassed like that.

Besides, Oikawa would more than likely focus on Iwaizumi rather than his own workout if he went with him, and that would just be a waste of time, even _if_ it gave him ample opportunity to gaze at Iwaizumi’s toned body.

Iwaizumi shrugged at Oikawa’s response, and smiled one last time at him before taking his leave. Oikawa sighed, sipping his coffee contently for a few moments until he decided to make his way up to the front.

“Suga, your boyfriend’s a meanie,” he stated.

“And why’s that?” Suga asked, amusement written all over his face.

“He’s stealing Iwa-chan from me,” he complained.

“Hmm, maybe that’s a good thing,” Suga shrugged, biting his lip at the way Oikawa’s jaw dropped open at the statement. “Maybe if he does, then you’ll actually start talking to me again,” he continued.

“ _I’m sorry_ ,” Oikawa apologized guiltily. “I promise I’ll respond to your messages no matter how busy or distracted I am from now on,” he promised.

“Even during sex?” Suga laughed.

“Don’t push it; you’re not that special,” Oikawa glared.

“I was just joking, you big baby.” Suga pinched Oikawa’s left cheek making him whine out in frustration. “But speaking of, two days in a row you walked in with Iwaizumi in the morning, huh? _Spill_ ,” he threatened.

“Fine, fine, I’ll tell you,” he whined. Suga rolled his eyes at Oikawa’s exaggeration. He may not have told anyone what happened yet but the truth was, he really _was_ dying to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol my sister is always harping on about how much better engineers are than everyone else and well, our university _is_ pretty famous for their insane engineering program so I can understand the elitism they all feel (y'all need a 95% average for a fighting chance hot damn) but STILL. 
> 
> to all you engineers out there: kudos for doing what you do. to all you non-engineers out there, y'all are just as awesome in my unbiased opinion! ♡
> 
> honestly though, I love a little proud Iwa-chan although he quickly makes it up to Oikawa lmao. hit me w/ smart boys and I will love you forever *weeps*
> 
> next time:  
> \- megane Tooru makes a brief appearance  
> \- rip Oikawa's unfixed door ohoho
> 
> I always love hearing your thoughts! leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed? c:


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I was gonna surprise y'all w/ an update on Monday/Tuesday but my cold of death turned into bronchitis and whatever, it was still a viral infection so I could deal w/ it but then the viral infection got taken over by a bacterial one ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ ofc I'd be unlucky enough to have a viral and bacterial infection at the same time lmao... 
> 
> but now that I'm on antibiotics and a puffer, I've stopped coughing up blood (I'M SORRY I KNOW THAT'S GROSS) and my fever has gone down so... Friday update as usual. *sigh* I hate being sick. I apologize for any editing mistakes beforehand! 
> 
> I feel bad that the last chapter was mostly a transition chapter and well, this one kinda is too before the story moves on again but most of this one is smut anyway so... enjoy I guess lmao (*ﾉ∀`*) depending on how I'm feeling tho, I might get the next chapter up Monday if I can edit it by then since I feel guilty about 2 transition chapters in a row but I can't make any promises :((

Oikawa was sitting on the couch, cross-legged, with his laptop balanced on top of his thighs and his headphones placed firmly around his ears when Kuroo came home that evening. Upon hearing the familiar noise of a key in the lock, and a shuffling in his peripheral vision, Oikawa put the laptop aside and removed his glasses, blinking away the tiredness that staring at a computer screen for so long brought.

He only needed them for when he was reading on his computer, or staring at his phone for long periods of time, and his eyes still hadn’t adjusted to the change. He didn’t particularly like wearing them, but in order to avoid worsening his vision, he did his best to remember them when he needed them the most.

“I made dinner,” Oikawa called, pulling his headphones off and placing them on the couch, next to his glasses, before stretching his legs out to relieve some of the stiffness that came with sitting cross-legged for so long. He heard his joints crack and a slight ache jolt through his right knee, but the feeling was fleeting and the momentary panic on Oikawa’s face was gone before he even registered it as anything to worry about.

“You cooked?” Kuroo asked in surprise, placing his shoes on the mat neatly before dropping his bag on the ground and shedding his black windbreaker.

“Okay, fine, I _warmed up_ dinner. Picked up some of those pre-packaged meals from the conbini, and there’s some leftover in the kitchen for you if you want,” Oikawa corrected.

“Ah, that sounds more like you,” Kuroo laughed. “I’ll eat in a bit, thanks.” He moved towards Oikawa and plopped down next to him, leaning his head back against the soft, dark grey couch. He closed his eyes tiredly, leaning all of his weight on the headrest behind him, humming contently as his head hit the plush material.

“Did you go to the gym?” Oikawa asked. Kuroo smelled like he had just showered, but his face was still glowing and he looked exhausted, the way he only did after a workout.

“Yeah,” Kuroo agreed. “Oh speaking of, I finally met your guy today. Thanks for the introduction by the way,” he teased.

That snapped Oikawa’s attention. He turned his head to Kuroo with raised eyebrows before realizing that there was really only one place he could have met Iwaizumi. “You ran into him at the gym?”

He wasn’t sure why, but knowing that Kuroo met Iwaizumi _without_ Oikawa there made him a little nervous, if only because Kuroo had a tendency to be a bit extreme.

“Hmm,” Kuroo mumbled in consent. “Actually, more like I was invited to the gym and that’s where I met him,” he explained. “He’s a nice guy – surprisingly gentle for someone who can bench almost 300 pounds.” He cracked open an eye and laughed at the look of shock on Oikawa’s face. “I know, I was impressed too. He made it look so easy, holy shit,” Kuroo recalled remarkably.

“Is that why you’re so tired?” Oikawa smirked. “You felt the need to compete with him, didn’t you?” he asked knowingly.

“Shut up. At least I can bench more than you can. Iwaizumi would fucking _crush_ you.”

“Hmm, maybe I want him to,” Oikawa grinned, before ducking his head away from Kuroo’s swatting hand. “He did pick me up quite easily last night,” he mused.

“Oikawa, please, just remember I have all your dirty secrets about him with me. Like how you were drooling over his picture before you even spoke to him properly or how you fantasized about him jerking you off the same day you _did_ speak to him,” Kuroo smirked. The horrified expression on Oikawa’s face made his grin grow wider.

“Those are _secrets_ ,” Oikawa hissed. “Besides, I don’t need to attempt to fantasize about how it feels to have his hand on my dick anymore.”

“ _Oikawa_ ,” Kuroo groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. “I didn’t need that mental image, you asshole.” Oikawa watched him shake his head, face twisted in displeasure.

“Hey, you started it,” he defended. Kuroo opened his eyes to shoot him a threatening glare, which Oikawa received with a coy look.

They sat in silence for a little while – heads leant against the back of the couch and feet stretched out on the coffee table in front. It was comfortable and Oikawa was grateful for the break Kuroo’s arrival had given him. Schoolwork was boring but he did tend to get lost in it for hours when he was left alone.

“You should invite him to the party the boys volleyball team is throwing next weekend,” Kuroo suggested.

“You think? He tends to be really busy with school… I don’t know,” Oikawa shrugged. He _had_ been thinking about it, but he didn’t want to push his luck. Iwaizumi may have insisted that Oikawa wasn’t bothering him, but from what Oikawa had seen so far, he tended to put academics before everything else.

Not that it was a bad thing, but it made Oikawa feel guilty for wanting to invite him out, even though the rational side of his brain knew that everyone craved a break once in a while, and Iwaizumi should have been no exception.

“Come on, it’ll be fun. Bokuto’s teammates always throw the best parties,” Kuroo reminded. “Plus, I heard Daichi’s coming so if he can take a break from school then so can your man,” he grinned.

Oikawa frowned at the comment, face flushing at the insinuation Kuroo’s words held. “He’s not _my man_ ,” he huffed at the suggestion. _Not yet_ _anyway_ , his mind supplied. “But fine, I’ll invite him,” he agreed.

“Good,” he hummed. “Maybe if I can’t compete with him at the gym I can just outdrink him,” he added.

“You’re so weird. Why are you even challenging him?” Oikawa frowned.

“I can’t just hand over my best friend to someone who isn’t worthy,” Kuroo said seriously, earning a blush and a dropped jaw from Oikawa.

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not. Either way, don’t use yourself as a means for comparison.” Oikawa shoved his shoulder affectionately.

“Hey, I’m _great_. Just ask Kenma,” Kuroo defended.

“Sure,” Oikawa chuckled. “Enjoy dinner, loser,” he greeted, bopping Kuroo on the head.

He picked up his laptop, his glasses, and his headphones and headed off in the direction of his room amidst Kuroo’s half-hearted complaints. He closed the door – or what was left of his door considering Kuroo _still_ hadn’t fixed it – and placed his belongings on top of his dresser, before flopping down, face first, on his bed.

He contemplated not telling Iwaizumi about the party, but he couldn’t understand _why_ he’d want to do that, so he picked up his phone and sent him an invite.

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
hey Iwa-chan ( * ́꒳`*)/

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Hey, Oikawa

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Bokuto’s teammates are throwing a party next weekend wanna go ??

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
What day?

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Saturday (*^▽^*)

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Yeah, sure. Text me the details

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
you sure you’re not too busy ?

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
I’m good, and it sounds fun

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
good bc Daichi’s coming (^_<)〜☆

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
lol was that just a set up?

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
psh I would never~~

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Sure…

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
just fyi it’s kinda far so we’ll have to take the train and don't make any important plans for Sunday !!

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Alright lol

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Want me to give you a ride instead?

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
you're gonna drive ? nooo then you’ll have to take the train back anyway and it’s not worth it

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
I just won’t drink then

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
but it’s a party ! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
You don’t have to drink to enjoy a party

Oikawa could almost see him rolling his eyes, and the thought brought a smile to his face. He nuzzled his face against his bed sheets happily before looking back up to see that he had a second text from Iwaizumi.

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
So do you want a ride, or not?

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
can't say no to a free ride I guess ty Iwa-chan ( ˘ ³˘)♥

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Yeah, no problem

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
anyway I’ll let you get back to your studying gl !

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Thanks. I’ll talk to you later

Oikawa smiled at the response on his phone before setting it aside. Iwaizumi was a terrible texter and used no emotion, but Oikawa could almost hear him when he read the messages. He thought that might be a little weird, but he liked the sound of Iwaizumi’s deep, soothing voice, so he decided to not think too much of it.

* * *

The week leading up to the party was boring and one of the longest weeks of Oikawa’s life. He hadn’t seen Iwaizumi much at all because apparently his professors didn’t understand what giving their students a _break_ was. Iwaizumi had quiz after quiz, assignment after assignment every day of the week and he was absolutely swamped.

Iwaizumi did however respond to Oikawa’s supportive messages as often as he could, even adding an emoji once in a while, which was more than enough to make Oikawa’s face light up in glee. Iwaizumi dropped by in the mornings when Oikawa was working to grab a coffee before his classes started but other than that their meetings were brief, lasting only about 5 minutes each time. It was nice to be able to see Iwaizumi at least, and be able to text him, but it definitely wasn’t _enough_.

On Friday, Oikawa was lucky enough to be working his usual 4 pm to 7 pm shift so Iwaizumi came by and picked him up from work so that they could walk home together.

“Are you sure you’re not too busy for the party tomorrow?” Oikawa frowned, lacing his fingers between Iwaizumi’s absentmindedly. The other man didn’t seem to mind – he even tugged Oikawa closer to his side at the touch.

“Yeah, I finished most of the prep work for next week today. I have a pre-lab to do for my fluid mechanics lab on Tuesday but I figured out the assignment so the pre-lab can’t be much harder. I can do that Monday night,” he promised.

“Wow, sounds tough. How do you live like that?” Oikawa groaned.

“What? Buried under schoolwork? I still find time for things I like,” he shrugged, before pressing a quick kiss to Oikawa’s cheek. “And people I like,” he whispered quietly into Oikawa’s ear.

The sun had set by then but it wasn’t dark enough that Oikawa’s flush wasn’t visible in the late evening light. Against the pinkish-purple background of the fading sky, it almost looked like it belonged there. The sight made Iwaizumi want to kiss him again, so he did.

“Iwa-chan, you’re awfully affectionate tonight,” Oikawa giggled when his lips teasingly brushed his ear again.

Having Iwaizumi kiss him so suddenly was making it difficult to walk, but Oikawa couldn’t find that he cared. The walk from _Coffee King_ to his apartment was too short anyway, and he wanted to be able to spend carefree moments like this in Iwaizumi’s company. The sidewalk was empty and the soft glow of the setting sun made good mood lighting, in Oikawa’s opinion.

“So what if I am? Can you blame me? I’ve only gotten to see you for maybe thirty minutes _max_ this whole week,” he groaned, kissing behind Oikawa’s ear, making him jolt from the touch. “Sensitive,” he remarked before pressing a kiss to the same spot.

“Iwa-chan, if you keep doing that here I’m going to jump you, _right now_ ,” he warned face lacking all teasing.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop,” he assured, but was met by a sullen expression. “What?”

“You’re not supposed to give in so easily,” Oikawa complained. “I thought you’d have a harder time resisting me,” he sighed.

Iwaizumi couldn’t help but stifle his laughter in his hand much to Oikawa’s chagrin. He shook his head to dispel any misconceptions before they could develop.

“Of course it’s not easy to _resist you_ ,” he blushed. “But the faster we get home, the faster I can do everything I’ve wanted to do all fucking week,” he admitted, pushing his lips roughly against Oikawa’s before pulling back and increasing his pace.

“Who said we were spending the night together?” Oikawa asked, bumping Iwaizumi’s shoulder with his playfully.

“I… I mean – you don’t – sorry,” Iwaizumi mumbled sheepishly.

Oikawa couldn’t keep a straight face for any longer. “I’m just kidding,” he chuckled, placing a quick kiss to Iwaizumi’s lips to appease him. “Let’s go to my place. Kuroo’s got a date night with Kenma so he won’t be home. Plus it’s closer.” He tugged at Iwaizumi’s arm when the red, brick wall lining the apartment complex came into view.

“Yeah, okay,” he agreed wholeheartedly, voice coming out rough against his throat.

Oikawa beamed, almost running up the stairs to the second floor with Iwaizumi trailing after him. He heard the other man chuckle from behind, telling him to slow down. “This is your fault, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa complained. “If you hadn’t started kissing me and telling me all those nice things I wouldn’t be like this,” he huffed.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, grinning slyly.

“Yeah?” Oikawa asked.

“Mmm, just you wait,” he agreed, fishing the keys from Oikawa’s outstretched hand and digging them into the keyhole. Oikawa didn’t protest, especially when Iwaizumi ushered him inside the apartment quickly before locking the door and pinning Oikawa against it.

He didn’t wait much longer to drop his bag off on the ground and kick his shoes off. Oikawa followed suite and as soon as the items holding them back were gone, Iwaizumi pressed his lips against Oikawa’s, licking at them immediately for Oikawa to let him in.

Not having seen Iwaizumi much that week and having had the chance to kiss him _even less_ made Oikawa desperate to feel his mouth against his own, _inside_ his own. He met Iwaizumi’s aggressive tongue, pull for every teasing pull. They set a bruising pace that matched the movement of their hands that grasped and clawed at one another in an attempt to get closer.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said when they broke away and Iwaizumi busied himself kissing and sucking at Oikawa’s neck. “Let’s not get off in the living room like last time. It made my back really sore,” he laughed nervously.

“You’re right, I’m sorry about that,” Iwaizumi apologized sheepishly.

For a moment, Oikawa didn’t think he was going to listen considering he didn’t stop his assault on Oikawa’s neck – only pressed himself closer to Oikawa’s body that was still flush against the front door.

But then he slid his hands down the side of Oikawa’s stomach, past his hips till they landed on his thighs. He squeezed gently before he loosened his grip and let his fingers tap against the material of his jeans, indicating for Oikawa to wrap his legs around Iwaizumi’s waist, which he did without hesitation.

Iwaizumi scooped him up and Oikawa tightened the hold his legs had around Iwaizumi’s waist, appreciating the way the proximity let him feel just how hard Iwaizumi was. He wrapped his arms securely behind Iwaizumi’s neck and grinned before sliding down a little to increase the friction, making Iwaizumi’s step falter.

“Don’t drop me,” Oikawa chided, mischievous grin still in place.

“Then don’t do that without warning,” Iwaizumi growled in response. “Which one is yours?” he asked, nodding to the hallway that was lined with four doors, two of which were bedrooms. The others led to a bathroom and a storage closet.

“Farthest one on the left.” Iwaizumi grunted in response before flinging the door open. He shut it behind them so harshly that Oikawa was surprised the tattered door didn’t fall off its hinges. It looked like it was at the end of its life and Kuroo had yet to replace it like he promised he would three weeks ago.

Still, Oikawa was too preoccupied with Iwaizumi’s mouth against his neck and his hands all over his stomach, his back, squeezing his ass, to really pay much attention to the treatment of his door.

He dropped Oikawa onto the bed with as much finesse as he had dropped Oikawa onto the floor just last week, but Oikawa couldn’t find it in himself to complain. Not when Iwaizumi shed his shirt and his pants before climbing on top of Oikawa. Oikawa’s eyes roamed over the exposed skin; he lifted his hands up to trace over the muscles in his chest before moving them over his arms.

He squeezed around the biceps, earning him a pleasured moan from Iwaizumi, which was a good thing because Oikawa was certain that he would never be able to get enough of squeezing Iwaizumi’s arms.

They were muscled and smooth and so _strong_. The veins that ran along them made them look even bulkier but in an appealing way – not too broad, but just the right amount of muscle that they were always slightly flexed. They fit his stature perfectly. Oikawa wasn’t sure how someone could have arms _that_ nice, but he was grateful that he had been able to find out the source of such a feat.

“You’re always wearing too many clothes,” Iwaizumi mumbled against Oikawa’s neck, fumbling with his grey v-neck sweater. “It’s not even cold out, why do you have to wear so many layers?” he asked in annoyance at seeing a white t-shirt underneath the sweater he had just pulled off.

“It _is_ cold,” Oikawa insisted, even as he lifted his arms to let Iwaizumi pull his shirt off the rest of the way.

“Let me warm you up then,” he whispered against Oikawa’s ear huskily, before taking the shell between his teeth and biting down. His tongue darted out to lick the bone as his lips moved down the length and sucked right behind his ear.

“ _Please_ ,” Oikawa begged, lifting his hips up at the prompt, closing his eyes against the feeling of Iwaizumi’s mouth, hot against his skin.

He couldn’t bring himself to care how desperate he sounded because with that kind of offer how could he not? He fumbled with the button of his pants before Iwaizumi had a chance to get to them, shucking them off the bed haphazardly. He heard the other man chuckle above him but he didn’t comment. Instead, Iwaizumi tugged at Oikawa’s boxers until they followed his pants on the floor.

He grinned, which was the only warning Oikawa got before Iwaizumi dipped his head down to kiss just under his navel, then inside of his thighs, _so close_ to where Oikawa really wanted him to touch. The feeling took Oikawa by surprise and he bucked up, only to be met with strong hands that gripped his hips and held him down in place.

“I told you I was going to warm you up, but you’ve got to be patient,” he murmured, planting soft kisses to the inside of Oikawa’s thighs, then going back to suck on the skin his lips had touched, occasionally darting his tongue out to tease the skin underneath him. It was slow and sensual, and had Oikawa bucking up eagerly but Iwaizumi was hell bent on making Oikawa a writhing mess even before he touched Oikawa where he really wanted to be touched.

Iwaizumi bit down on Oikawa’s inner thigh suddenly, making him cry out in a mix of pleasure and pain but he soothed the sting with his tongue, calming Oikawa a little.

“Iwa-chan, _hurry up_ ,” he ordered impatiently, clutching the sheets beneath him in an attempt to ground himself.

Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows; he looked like he was going to argue but then he shrugged his shoulders and said, “Alright, if you say so,” before slipping his mouth over Oikawa’s head effortlessly.

He didn’t tease like Oikawa thought he was going to. Instead he took Oikawa into his mouth as far back as he could go without gagging, tongue swirling around his entire length before he hollowed his cheeks and sucked harshly.

That was the only straightforward thing Oikawa got though, because as soon as Iwaizumi had done that, he was pulling back so that his mouth covered only the head of his cock, teasing Oikawa with shallow bobs and kitten licks.

The sudden warmth of Iwaizumi’s mouth and the pressure building up in his cock had Oikawa rearing up impatiently, but Iwaizumi’s grip on his hips was unfairly strong.

“Iwa-chan, _please_ ,” Oikawa begged, trying and failing to buck up again in search of some friction. Iwaizumi’s mouth was too warm, too wet, and it had Oikawa wanting far _more_.

Iwaizumi bobbed his head a little, humming in response before popping off. “Please what?” He wiped some of the saliva and precum covering his lips with the back of his hand. The sight was subjectively _hot_ and Oikawa felt more thick beads of precum ooze out of his cock at the sight.

Iwaizumi’s face was flushed, his breathing was a little ragged but he looked fucking _delighted_. “Please, _move_ ,” he whispered softly, losing himself in the sight of the man above him.

The sound of Oikawa begging him sincerely must have done something because he stopped his teasing and moved his mouth over Oikawa’s cock, licking around it without wasting any more time. He traced a line with the flat of his tongue from the base to the head before sucking on the tip and taking Oikawa into the back of his mouth again without waiting for some kind of complaint.

Iwaizumi was completely in control, no matter how many times Oikawa tried to buck up. His pace was no longer teasing, but Oikawa was impatient and he wanted _more_. Still, Iwaizumi knew just how to please him, stretching the pleasure out over a longer period.

One moment he was sucking rough suction up Oikawa’s length and the next he was loosening up, giving Oikawa tiny licks and kisses to the tip of his cock, making Oikawa feel like he was going to die from frustration before he found his release.

“Please, Iwa-chan, don’t tease me,” Oikawa cried, uselessly rearing his hips up again. Iwaizumi nodded around him, pleased with Oikawa’s reaction before he focused his attention on lapping around Oikawa’s length with purpose.

“Oh god, don’t stop, I’m– I’m going to come,” Oikawa whispered slowly, the pleasure having finally built up. He was afraid that Iwaizumi was going to stop again, go back to teasing him, but instead of backing off like Oikawa expected him to, Iwaizumi just increased his pace, using his hand to replace what his mouth could not in favour of faster, harsher bobs near Oikawa’s head.

It didn’t take long after that for Oikawa to reach his climax. Iwaizumi backed off slightly when he felt the thick, bitter liquid hit the back of his throat, but he kept his mouth otherwise open, letting Oikawa’s thick cum coat his tongue. He swallowed what he could before moving up to lick a flat line over Oikawa’s now sensitive cock, sucking at the tip teasingly, making the other man shiver uncontrollably under the touch.

“ _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa cried, whining petulantly. But he didn’t protest the action.

Iwaizumi’s grip on his hips loosened and Oikawa pushed himself up a little to peer at the man who was hovering above him. He was still hard, achingly so, and Oikawa reached up hesitantly to wrap his hand around Iwaizumi’s cock.

“Let me,” Oikawa said when he felt Iwaizumi’s hand wrap over his. He nodded, backing off, to let Oikawa take control of the pace. Unlike Iwaizumi, Oikawa didn’t have it in him to tease the man when he started panting in Oikawa’s ear, begging him to go _faster_ , telling him how _good_ his hand felt around him and how maybe next time, he’d like to know what his pretty, pink lips would feel like too.

He pumped his hand with vigour, wanting to make Iwaizumi feel as good as the other man had made him feel, and it didn’t take long until his hand was hot and wet and sticky, and Iwaizumi was collapsing on top of him.

He moved aside a moment later to take Oikawa’s hand in his own, kissing the fingertips slowly. “W– what are you doing?” he asked hesitantly, watching the way Iwaizumi sucked his fingers between his lips.

“I can’t get enough of how your hands feel against _everything_ ,” he admitted, making Oikawa blush furiously.

“Stop, stop, I’ll get wet cloths,” Oikawa said embarrassedly, pulling his hand away to get off the bed. He turned around to see that Iwaizumi was grinning up at him, so wide and sincere that his dimples were showing. The sight made Oikawa’s heart lurch, and he hurried out of the room before he got hard again.

“Are we taking turns?” Iwaizumi asked when Oikawa returned with the towels to clean themselves off with.

“Hmm?”

“Are you going to clean me off because I helped you last time? Or is this you being a good host?” he teased.

“Just for that, I’m not helping you,” Oikawa pouted, tossing the wet towel across Iwaizumi’s abdomen. Iwaizumi stared at him with an amused expression for a few seconds before leaning over to grab the towel and clean himself off. It only took a few more seconds before Oikawa was grabbing it back from him. “Ah, give that here, and _lie down_ ,” he instructed.

Iwaizumi didn’t say anything but the smirk on his face was enough to make Oikawa blush. He tried to hide it by turning his head but Iwaizumi weaved his hand through the back of Oikawa’s hair and turned his face so that he was staring into his eyes. “You’re really beautiful,” he said suddenly, making Oikawa’s already red face heat up again.

“ _What was that for_?” Oikawa shouted.

“What?” Iwaizumi asked innocently.

“You’re so annoying, Iwa-chan. I’m trying to help and you’re just trying to embarrass me,” he whined, but there was a small smile playing at the edge of his lips. Iwaizumi thought he was _beautiful_. That was a compliment Oikawa heard often but coming from Iwaizumi’s mouth, it was the best damn compliment he had ever received.

He tossed the dirty towels on the ground, deciding that he would pick them up tomorrow because he _really_ didn’t want to leave Iwaizumi’s side at the moment.

“Want clothes?” he asked, nodding his head to his dresser.

“Nah, come here,” Iwaizumi said moving over, patting the empty space next to him for Oikawa to crawl into. Oikawa opted to forgo clothes as well before he slid into the bed, and pulled the blankets up around them. Iwaizumi immediately tucked an arm under Oikawa’s head, using his fingers to card through the brown locks. It was comfortable and affectionate. It put a happy smile on Oikawa’s face and caused his mind to drift off into sleep in a matter of seconds.

* * *

The next morning, Oikawa was woken up to the sound of someone calling his name. He blinked his eyes open, squinting against the light a couple of times before realizing that he was in his room and the body that had been sleeping next to him last night was gone. He wondered briefly where Iwaizumi was until he heard the man in question repeat his name, alerting Oikawa to the reason why he woke up in the first place.

“Uhm, Oikawa?” Iwaizumi called again hesitantly.

“Yeah?” Oikawa mumbled, voice heavy with sleep. He lifted himself a little off the bed to see what Iwaizumi wanted.

“I think I broke your door,” he said shakily. Oikawa couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Iwaizumi holding his door by the handle, red-faced, embarrassed and frankly, a little scared.

“ _Why are you laughing_?” he asked painfully, which only served to make Oikawa’s laughter increase.

“I’m not laughing at you, I promise,” Oikawa managed eventually. “Kuroo kind of fucked up my door a few weeks ago and he never replaced it. It was due to break off the hinges soon anyway,” he explained. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t your fault.”

Iwaizumi let out a shaky breath. “Oh thank god, I thought I _broke your door_ ,” he sighed heavily. He placed the now unhinged door against the wall inside the room, shaking his head at the sight. “I’d ask how, but I have a feeling I don’t want to know what he did to it,” Iwaizumi chuckled nervously.

“Yeah, it’s best not to ask,” Oikawa agreed, muffling his laughter in his blankets. It was nice, he thought, seeing Iwaizumi in his room like that, clad in only a pair of boxers. His hair was still messy and Oikawa could appreciate the sight of the purple blooms that had spread across his chest.

 _Nice_ didn’t explain the extent of it though. Oikawa was painfully aware of how he’d like to see the sight of Iwaizumi like that every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's about time Oikawa's door gets a replacement lmao! I feel bad for abusing the poor piece of wood but at least now Kuroo will be forced to (hopefully) buy him a new one haha.
> 
> next time:  
> \- why is Iwa-chan so sexy while driving?  
> \- jello shots, keg stands, and Ushiwaka
> 
> leave me your thoughts please? ♡ I love hearing what you have to say, it seriously makes my day! c:


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy Monday! woo managed to get an early chapter up! thank you antibiotics for doing your job lmao. next update will be on Friday so 2 updates in 1 week! ^^
> 
> I feel like I need to say this just as a disclaimer bc people seem to have mixed opinions on Ushijima and he makes an appearance in this chapter, but guys, I don't hate him or dislike him, or anything of the sort. I think he's bad at socializing and he's blunt to the point of being rude, but he's not a genuinely bad guy... in my opinion anyway! not that he's even a bad guy in this fic lmao but just to cover my bases~ ^^
> 
> to me, all haikyuu characters are precious ♡
> 
> anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! c:

Iwaizumi whistled appreciatively when Oikawa opened the door for him that evening. “You look good,” Iwaizumi addressed, smiling at Oikawa’s appearance. Oikawa was wearing a blue plaid button down with a black and brown crewneck on top, a pair of slim, dark wash denim that were cuffed slightly at the bottom and dark brown chukka boots.

He beamed at the compliment, returning it with a “You do too, Iwa-chan,” because he really did. Iwaizumi looked down self-consciously at his blue jeans, then at his light blue collared shirt and grey sweater before smiling hesitantly.

He rubbed the toe of his brown suede boots against the floor nervously before Oikawa took his hand in his and repeated, “I mean it, you look really nice.” He pulled the hand that was holding Iwaizumi’s so that Iwaizumi stepped into the apartment, door still held open by Oikawa’s left hand. “Kind of makes me not want to go and keep you here all to myself,” Oikawa added, making Iwaizumi cough slightly.

“Let’s go before you do that and we end up with no clothes at all,” Iwaizumi grinned, pulling Oikawa out of the apartment knowingly.

Oikawa laughed at the statement because it was true, but he didn’t protest. He locked the door behind him, since Kuroo had already left, and was about to ask where Iwaizumi’s car was before he noticed that it was parked right downstairs.

His eyes went wide at the sight of it since he remembered it vaguely from Iwaizumi’s social media pictures, but Oikawa hadn’t realized the extent of how _nice_ it was.

It was one thing to see Iwaizumi's car in a picture where he was partially covering it with his body, and it was a completely different thing to see it in person. 

Oikawa knew jack shit about cars but he could still tell it looked nice. And the fact that it was a Lexus told Oikawa that it was also fucking _expensive_.

He gaped at the sleek, black car that was parked outside his apartment complex. His place was one of the nicer ones in the area: the front was decorated with small trees and flowers, a cobblestone path lead from the gates to the front of the building, and there was even a garden area at the back that was well maintained.

But even so, the car looked far too nice for the setting, and Oikawa couldn't help but feel a little out of place seeing it. 

“No way, that is so _nice_ ,” Oikawa gawked, staring openly at the vehicle. 

“Ah, my dad gave it to me,” Iwaizumi admitted embarrassedly. “He got a good deal at an auction because the bumper was a bit beat up and the guy wanted out of his lease early so he was willing for someone to buy it from him,” he explained.

Oikawa didn't know what any of the explanation had meant but he nodded all the same, looking over the shiny exterior. He ran his hand over the roof of the car, and had to physically hold back from squealing at how smooth it felt beneath his palm.

When Iwaizumi opened the door for him and Oikawa peered inside, he almost lost it. If he thought the outside was nice, then he didn't know how to describe the interior, with its suave, black leather seats, immaculate buttons – so many that Oikawa didn't even know what they all did – a rear-view camera and Bluetooth connection. He cooed at the shininess of it all. He was almost afraid to sit in it – afraid that he might ruin it somehow.

“You must be a really good son,” Oikawa observed when Iwaizumi slipped into the driver's seat. 

“Hmm, why's that?” he asked nervously. 

“My dad would _never_ buy me a car. Not one like this, anyway,” Oikawa laughed. “You’re either a perfect son or you must have the nicest dad on Earth," Oikawa chuckled, turning his head to look at the back as well. 

“Well, he made me work on it with him. Showed me just about every trick there was. And it didn’t look this nice on the inside when I first got it. I had to replace some of the dash buttons,” he chuckled, watching the way Oikawa was seemingly taken in by the grandeur of it all. 

“I mean, I’m the favourite, despite the arguments my older brother and sister put up, and still, nothing like this,” Oikawa sighed dreamily, closing his eyes when his head hit the soft headrest. He heard Iwaizumi chuckle next to him, either from his reaction or his words… or maybe both.

“Maybe it’s the perks of being an only child,” Iwaizumi joked.

“Hmm, maybe,” Oikawa smiled, opening his eyes before turning his head to observe Iwaizumi carefully. “Are you some kind of rich-kid, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked bluntly. 

“Uhm, no?” he answered hesitantly. Oikawa raised his eyebrows. “Just a car junkie,” he explained. “Seriously, I'm not,” he blushed when Oikawa didn't seem to believe him.

“Alright, I believe you,” he shrugged eventually, still seemingly unconvinced. “Do you have the address or do you want me to plug it in?” he asked buckling his seatbelt. 

“I've got it set up already, but thank you,” Iwaizumi smiled. He turned the engine on, shifted the gears and turned out of the complex and onto the road. Oikawa couldn’t help but stare at how relaxed Iwaizumi looked while driving and it was more than a little hot. Iwaizumi didn’t seem to notice that Oikawa had turned his head to speak to him just so he could gaze unabashedly at the man, which was fine by Oikawa. He'd take every opportunity he could get to stare at Iwaizumi’s handsome face. 

Iwaizumi hummed, listening to Oikawa’s stories while he focused on the road ahead. At one point, he moved his left hand over Oikawa’s right and held it tightly. Oikawa paused at the action, before slipping his fingers between Iwaizumi’s and continuing where he had left off. 

Oikawa noted that everything about Iwaizumi was _nice_ and apparently his belongings didn't stray from that list either. 

* * *

They parked in a parking lot not too far down from the house they were supposed to be at. It was a bit of a walk, but that was more time Oikawa got to spend in Iwaizumi's company so he wasn't complaining. 

When they reached the house, the party was already in full swing. Oikawa could hear loud music mixed with the screams and yells of people happily partying it up with one another before they even entered the house. It belonged to one of Bokuto's teammates and was supposedly a vacation home but his parents weren't around much so it was conveniently used as a party house most of the time. 

They were lucky that the neighbourhood was small and the houses were spread far apart, otherwise with the number of people and the amount of noise coming from them, Oikawa was sure they’d have been kicked out already. Or arrested, considering the amount of alcohol that was flying around.

“Hey, you made it,” Kuroo grinned upon seeing Oikawa and Iwaizumi enter. He held up the cup he had in his left hand and pressed it towards Iwaizumi's chest. 

“Hey man,” Iwaizumi greeted. “Sorry, I can't drink tonight since I drove,” he apologized. 

“Aww, and here I was thinking I’d drag you into a drinking match with me,” he pouted.

“I told you not to do that,” Oikawa glared. “Don’t listen to what Kuroo says, Iwa-chan. He’s an enabler,” Oikawa whispered not so quietly.

Kuroo rolled his eyes at his friend. “Don't be so dramatic, I know you still love me,” he insisted placing his hand across Oikawa’s shoulder. “Here,” he handed the cup he had previously offered to Iwaizumi to Oikawa instead. Oikawa wrinkled his nose at the arm Kuroo had swung over his shoulder but accepted the drink nevertheless. 

“Thanks, I guess.” He shrugged Kuroo’s arm off of him and looked around the house, which was way more crowded than he expected it to be. “What happened? Did someone invite the whole school or something?” he gestured towards the crowd.

“Well you know Miya,” Kuroo started hesitantly, earning a glare from Oikawa.

“Of course I know stupid fucking Miya Atsumu. He’s probably the person I hate the most after Ushiwaka,” Oikawa said angrily. “What about him?”

Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows at Oikawa’s outburst but didn’t question it. “His twin brother goes to Chuo and Miya must have told him about the party so he went and invited everyone he knew,” Kuroo explained.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Where do you think these Chuo kids get off coming to a Keidai party?” Oikawa snapped.

“Relax, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi soothed. “If you really hate them that much then just don’t talk to them. You know tons of other people here, right?” he placated.

Oikawa grumbled something about that being easier said than done, but nodded before downing the drink in his hand. He couldn’t get worked up about people he didn’t like; it was a party for fuck’s sake and he had _wanted_ to be there.

“I’m going to go get another drink,” he announced to Kuroo and Iwaizumi in the hopes that he wouldn’t have to continue this conversation and that when he got back, the topic would have changed to something more pleasing.

He didn’t wait to hear back from the other two before he weaved his way through the crowd to the drinks table and grabbed himself a beer. He didn’t know what had been in the cup Kuroo had given him and he probably should have asked to avoid mixing alcohol, but hearing about fucking Miya Atsumu, the wonder boy setter of Keio University and his stupid twin brother from Chuo, had put Oikawa into a bad mood. The faster he got drunk, the faster he’d be able to forget them and actually enjoy the party.

When he got back to where he had left Kuroo and Iwaizumi, he noticed that they hadn’t moved. Grateful for that fact, he headed towards them but stopped when he heard Iwaizumi ask Kuroo, “So why does Oikawa hate Chuo so much?”

Kuroo looked around hesitantly, before leaning in to say, “That’s because he was supposed to go to Chuo before his, you know, injury.”

Oikawa froze, watching the way Iwaizumi’s face twisted uncomfortably at the realization. He muttered an, “Oh,” but didn’t ask any more questions.

Not that he had a right to ask any questions about Oikawa to his friends _anyway_.

And who did Kuroo think he was telling Iwaizumi about it without Oikawa’s permission? It was _his_ story, _his_ career, _his_ life that was affected by it and Kuroo had no right to tell Iwaizumi something so personal, that Oikawa already hadn’t.

He wasn’t sure if he was angrier with the fact that _he_ hadn’t been the one to tell Iwaizumi something important about his life, even though Iwaizumi already knew about his injury, or if he was angrier with the fact that his friends were talking about him behind his back.

Or maybe he was angry with Iwaizumi for asking Kuroo instead of asking _him_. It wasn’t like Oikawa was going to hide it if Iwaizumi wanted to know – Oikawa _had_ told him the story about how he fucked up his knee after all.

Oikawa turned his head away from the conversation, too angry to go back to them now. He slipped back into the crowd and chugged his beer down before grabbing another one and popping the cap open.

Well, this was turning out to be the worst start to a party he had ever experienced. He knew he shouldn’t have been sulking in a corner, but he couldn’t help but feel betrayed.

“Oikawa?” He looked up at the sound of Iwaizumi’s voice calling his name. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to come back,” he said hesitantly. He moved towards Oikawa slowly, hands stuffed into the pocket of his pants.

“I heard you talking to Kuroo about me,” Oikawa replied bluntly. Iwaizumi had the decency to flush at the statement. “You asked him why I hated Chuo and he told you. You know, you could have just asked me. I would have told you,” he continued.

His voice didn’t display any anger, but the way his eyes flashed, turning an almost golden brown instead of its usual caramel colour was enough to get his point across.

“I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized. “I honestly thought it was just going to be some rivalry thing, you know with Keidai and Chuo going far back. I really didn’t think it was personal, but you’re right, I shouldn’t have done that.”

He looked upset at having hurt Oikawa’s feelings, and it was the genuineness in his words and the concern on his face that softened Oikawa’s mood a little.

“Next time, don’t ask my friends things you want to know about me,” he stated. He backed off the wall and moved closer to Iwaizumi before asking, “Wanna dance?”

Iwaizumi looked taken aback by the sudden change in Oikawa’s mood but he was grateful for the improvement and so he nodded quickly, taking Oikawa’s hand in his own before bringing him to the makeshift dance floor. Really, it was just the living room with the furniture pushed to the edges so the hardwood flooring underneath was exposed.

It was crowded and tight, but it gave Iwaizumi a reason to put his hands on Oikawa’s hips and bring him in close without earning unwanted attention. Oikawa didn’t seem to mind the proximity either, bringing his face close to Iwaizumi’s at every opportunity and rolling his hips slowly against Iwaizumi’s in time with the music.

Oikawa placed his hands around Iwaizumi’s neck, but slowly started to drift them down the expanse of his muscled back.

He was surprised by how easy it had been to convince Iwaizumi to dance with him. He had honestly expected the other man to say ‘no’ considering he didn’t _look_ like he’d want to dance, but maybe something about the pissed off look on Oikawa’s face had made him vulnerable.

Oikawa should have felt guilty about this fact, but he didn’t considering he was too busy enjoying the way he could casually feel up Iwaizumi in public. When his hands lingered too close to Iwaizumi’s ass though, Oikawa felt him shift a little, sliding Oikawa’s hands higher up his back, face displaying a slightly blush.

“Boo, you’re no fun,” Oikawa pouted. Iwaizumi chuckled before he leaned in and kissed the sulky expression off of his face. Oikawa grinned before bringing his mouth back to Iwaizumi’s for a slower, _longer_ kiss, which Iwaizumi was happy to return, even if he pulled back, embarrassed, at a random ‘ _get some!_ ’ thrown in their direction.

Oikawa looked happy though, and the smile on his face lifted Iwaizumi’s mood as well.

“Iwa-chan, I want another drink,” Oikawa exclaimed suddenly, moving away from Iwaizumi and heading back towards the drink tables.

Some people had put up jello shots by then and Oikawa's face brightened excitedly at the thought. “Oh, these are my favourite,” he smiled, pointing the shots out to Iwaizumi.

“Why am I not surprised?” Iwaizumi laughed. “Just don’t go overboard, you’ve still got the rest of the night.” He ruffled Oikawa’s hair affectionately, which earned him a glare as Oikawa moved his hand up to fix any strands that had come out of place.

“Don’t worry, I can hold my alcohol _very well_ ,” Oikawa grinned.

“Liar,” Iwaizumi chuckled.

Oikawa didn’t have a chance to protest though, because Bokuto came bounding towards them and placed one arm around each of their shoulders.

“Yo, Iwaizumi, I’m glad you came. Listen, we need another person to help us with the keg stand in the back. You can do that, right?” he asked bouncing happily in place. He noticed the neon green shot in Oikawa’s hand and easily nabbed it, downing it before Oikawa could object.

“Wow, thanks Bokuto, I’m right here too, you know,” Oikawa rolled his eyes, moving out from underneath Bokuto’s grip. He took another shot off the table, bright red this time, before downing it, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Last time I asked you to help, you said, and I quote, ‘ _Why the fuck would I want to touch some idiot’s gross legs while he attempts to prove his manliness in a messed up drinking culture set up by fuckboys?_ ’”

“Well, it’s _true_ ,” Oikawa defended.

“Whatever,” Bokuto waved him off. “So will you help us?” he turned to Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi, in turn, looked towards Oikawa, considering he had been the one to invite him to the party in the first place.

Oikawa rolled his eyes before saying, “Do whatever you want, you weirdos.” He wasn’t really upset, but Iwaizumi didn’t seem convinced. “Seriously, if you want to take part in that, I’m okay with it. Go have fun, meet new people or something,” he smiled, taking a second bright red shot off the table and shooing Iwaizumi and Bokuto away.

Just because he didn’t see the fun in keg stands didn’t mean other people didn’t and who was Oikawa to ruin their fun? He figured his limit was two shots, for now at least, considering he was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol in his system, so he stepped away from the table in search of other people he knew to keep him occupied.

He chatted with a couple of his classmates, most of his friends nowhere in sight. Kuroo was probably with Bokuto and Iwaizumi, and Oikawa highly doubted Kenma had come to such an event. Suga was probably off in some corner with Daichi and he hadn’t texted Akaashi to see if he would be coming.

Oikawa took out his phone and started to type a message but at the realization that it didn’t look very coherent, he pocketed it in the fear that he would accidentally send the wrong thing to the wrong person.

Still, there were enough people that he knew that the time passed by quickly. Iwaizumi hadn’t returned yet but Oikawa was glad he was having fun and meeting new people. Bokuto’s teammates were loud, while Iwaizumi was quiet, but he certainly _looked_ like he’d fit in with his gruff face and built body. Oikawa still couldn’t help but wonder how someone like that had decided that he liked Oikawa of all people.

Not that he was complaining. He liked Iwaizumi, _a lot_ , and if Iwaizumi liked him then who was Oikawa to deny that?

“Oikawa, why are you standing there by yourself?” The familiar, deep voice of Oikawa’s most despised individual made his reminiscent mood turn sour immediately. He looked up at the steely, unreadable expression of Ushijima.

“None of your business,” he snapped. He had managed to stay away from the man all night, but one look at his stoic face had Oikawa immediately turning into a ball of fury.

“Do you want a drink?” he asked, offering a second cup that he had to Oikawa.

Oikawa narrowed his eyes at the suggestion. “You think I’d take a drink from you? You probably poisoned it or something,” he scoffed.

“Why would I do that?” Ushijima asked, confusion written all over his face. Oikawa wasn’t sure if he was just a really good actor, or if he was just that daft when it came to reading social situations. He didn’t want to talk to Ushijima and yet, the man was still standing there like Oikawa had invited him to stay.

“I don’t know, maybe because you think it’s fun to make my life miserable,” Oikawa bit back. He didn’t know why he was even giving in to arguing with Ushijima fucking Wakatoshi of all people, when he could have just walked away from the man. He was by no means keeping Oikawa in place, but he riled him up like no one else did and Oikawa hadn’t had a good argument with him in a long time.

He was certain the alcohol was fucking with his sense of judgement but while Oikawa knew this, he couldn’t bring himself to move away.

“I don’t make your life miserable,” Ushijima insisted seriously.

“Oh right, like telling me I’m wrong all the time isn’t your way of doing just that. Why do you even _care_ what I do? It doesn’t affect you!” Oikawa shouted. He was vaguely aware of the volume of their conversation but he didn’t care anymore.

“Well you always seem to come in second,” he said bluntly. Oikawa wasn’t even surprised by Ushijima’s audacity anymore but that didn’t stop his jaw from dropping at the frank statement all the same. “If you just listened to me, you could be up there with me. You’ve got potential Oikawa. Maybe volleyball is behind you, but you’re still smart and have a career in business. Join my team this year. With your ideas and my execution, we’d win the business fair for sure,” he insisted.

Oikawa flared up at the directness. “You think you can insult me by telling me you’re better than me then ask me to be on your _team_? You’re fucked, Ushiwaka, what the hell is wrong with you?” he stepped up closer to Ushijima. Oikawa knew better than to start a brawl with Ushijima considering his height and his build but that didn’t stop Oikawa from looking like he’d pack a punch any time soon.

Luckily for him, he didn’t have to fight with what was left of his senses to stop himself from doing something he’d sorely regret later.

Suddenly, he felt warm hands on his shoulders that trailed down the length of his arms before tangling themselves in Oikawa’s palms.

“Oikawa, what’s wrong?” Iwaizumi asked, tugging Oikawa a few steps back. Oikawa could feel his warmth behind him and the smell of his cologne, now that he was standing so close; it grounded him and made him lose some of his earlier ferocity.

“Nothing,” he shook his head, stepping further back. He turned his head away from Ushijima until the other man called out again.

“Who are you?” Ushijima asked bluntly. The suddenness of his question caught Oikawa by surprise and it seemed like it had done the same to Iwaizumi because Oikawa felt his grip around Oikawa’s hands tighten.

“Pardon?” Iwaizumi asked unsurely.

“Who are you?” Ushijima repeated. “I was talking to Oikawa. It was a private conversation,” he insisted.

“No, _it wasn’t_ ,” Oikawa glared. “He was being an asshole, don’t talk to him Iwa-chan, you’ll just get infected by his dick germs.” Oikawa made to push Iwaizumi and himself away from Ushijima but Iwaizumi didn’t seem to want to move now that he had been addressed. They stared at each other squarely for a few tense seconds until Iwaizumi broke the silence between them.

“Iwaizumi Hajime,” Iwaizumi replied sternly, catching Oikawa by surprise. “And you are?” he returned the question.

Ushijima ignored the question, looking between Oikawa and Iwaizumi with curious eyes. “No, who are you _to Oikawa_?” he reiterated.

“I’m– ” Oikawa didn’t know what Iwaizumi was going to say because he didn’t give him a chance to finish the sentence. What the fuck was wrong with Ushijima? As if it wasn’t enough that he came to the same school as Oikawa, he was also in his program. Oikawa wanted to get the fuck away from him, especially in his free time.

“Shut up,” Oikawa snapped. Iwaizumi thought Oikawa was speaking to him for a panicked moment before he realized his eyes were glaring daggers at Ushijima. “ _Shut up_ and stop talking to me. I don’t want to be on your stupid business team and I _never_ will. Just you wait, I’ll fucking kick your ass at the fair this year too,” he snapped.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi pulled at his hands so that his back was flush against Iwaizumi’s front. “Don’t get so worked up over him, baby, he’s not worth it.” Iwaizumi tried to calm him down by murmuring in his ear, if only because people were really starting to stare now and he didn’t want this to be the talk of two schools.

Oikawa hesitated, like he wanted to fight back, but he didn’t. He let Iwaizumi tug him away, refusing to look back at Ushijima once he had turned around. He could feel the eyes of people around them on him, but he didn’t care. He had Iwaizumi by his side, holding Oikawa’s hand firmly in his own. The use of his earlier pet name also didn’t go unnoticed by Oikawa and it softened his frown a little.

“I want to go home,” Oikawa said after a while, pulling himself closer to Iwaizumi and burying his head in the other man’s strong chest. “Ushiwaka ruined whatever fun I was having,” he sniffed.

Iwaizumi was mildly afraid Oikawa was going to start crying, so he whispered, “Yeah, come on,” before pulling Oikawa out of the house and away from prying eyes.

Their walk back to the car was quiet, Oikawa looking anywhere but at Iwaizumi’s face. He kept their hands entwined but there was none of the usual vigour that Oikawa put into holding hands with Iwaizumi. It was as if he was leaving their hands pressed together out of habit, rather than because he wanted to and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but notice that.

“What’s wrong?” Iwaizumi asked once they were back in the car. Instead of turning on the engine, he turned to face Oikawa, holding his chin between his thumb and forefinger to bring Oikawa’s head towards him.

“Nothing,” Oikawa answered vaguely. Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows disbelievingly at that until Oikawa sighed. “Ushiwaka is so _mean_. I swear he’s obsessed with making my life miserable. Did you know that back in high school he used to come to every single one of my games just so he could point out any mistakes I made. Even if we didn’t lose, he’d tell me what I could improve on but not even in a constructive way because _I never fucking asked him to_. Then before leaving, he’d tell me I wouldn’t be making the same mistakes if I had just come to his high school instead. He’s always on me about how I can improve, how I’m not living up to my potential, ugh _I hate him_ ,” Oikawa seethed.

Iwaizumi paused for a moment, watching Oikawa’s eyes flash dangerously again before he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

“He’s an asshole, don’t listen to him. You’re doing just fine, no you’re doing _great_ ,” Iwaizumi corrected. “You’re smart, and funny, and you’ve got great friends. Don’t let him tell you how to live your life or make you feel that what you’re doing isn’t enough.”

Oikawa nodded, blinking back a few tears. He wiped at the ones threatening to fall down his face with the back of his hand. He wasn’t sure why but hearing Iwaizumi tell him that he _was_ doing enough had made him more emotional than fighting with Ushijima had. Maybe it was the alcohol in his system, or maybe it was the fact that Iwaizumi had looked so _sincere_ when he said it that made Oikawa’s head spin and his heart beat faster.

“Thanks, Iwa-chan,” he hiccupped slightly. “I’m sorry if I ruined your night.”

“Hey, don’t give me that. You didn’t ruin my night. I stopped having fun the moment you did,” he said seriously. He paused, thinking about something before asking, “How about we don’t end the night like this though? I’d hate for you arguing with Ushijima to be the last thing you remember about tonight when you wake up tomorrow.”

“What were you thinking?” Oikawa asked, looking from Iwaizumi’s face to the watch on his wrist, which read a quarter to midnight.

“Well, I have a moon roof in here that I’ve never gotten the chance to use and I heard Yamanakako has really nice stars,” he smiled.

“That’s in a different prefecture, an hour and half drive from here,” Oikawa gaped.

“It’s late so there probably won’t be any traffic or many cars on the road for that matter. I can drive fast,” Iwaizumi offered. Oikawa chewed on his bottom lip in thought. He _really_ wanted to say yes, but he didn’t want to burden Iwaizumi. Still, it was the other man who had offered. The way he smiled earnestly at Oikawa, eyes turned down into crescents and dimples caving in his cheeks made Oikawa nod his head eagerly.

“Yeah, let’s do that,” he agreed, already feeling the effects of Iwaizumi’s offer brightening his mood. He took Iwaizumi’s hand in his own and turned on the radio as the other man started their drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok ngl, that scene between Ushijima and Oikawa was so fun to write. I've been dying to post this scene for a while now. and for anyone who is wondering, Ushijima gets his redemption dw dw lmao. I can't hate any characters! 
> 
> can Iwa-chan get any more perfect? next chapter is also a personal favourite of mine so ahh I hope you're excited about it! :D 
> 
> next time:  
> \- Oikawa can't keep his own secrets  
> \- Iwaizumi is blown away (and by more than just Oikawa's looks)
> 
> leave me a comment or kudos if you liked this? ♡ your thoughts always make me so happy! c:


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, chapter 13, here we are! 13 is actually my favourite number (I was born on a Friday the 13th woo!) but the fact that this is probably my favourite chapter is completely accidental haha. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. c: 
> 
> it's a little short but I'm banking on the insane amounts of fluff balancing that out haha. 
> 
> last night my friend said to me "if you're not thirsting, are you even living?" and I told her I'd get that printed on a shirt for her and she said she'd wear it proudly at the gym lmao

At some point during the drive to Yamanakako, Oikawa had fallen asleep. The leather seats were incredibly comfortable, and when he kicked his shoes off to curl his feet on top of them, it made him feel ridiculously sleepy. Especially when Iwaizumi asked Oikawa if he wanted the heat on and _of course_ Oikawa did.

What he wasn’t expecting was for the heat to come from the seat, which just made him curl up against the material as far back as he could without it looking like he wanted to be swallowed whole by it. He vaguely remembered Iwaizumi turning his head quickly to laugh at the sight before brushing his thumb soothingly over Oikawa’s knuckles. His palms were a little rough, but the feeling made Oikawa’s entire body shiver.

He was sure he fell asleep not too long after that and only woke up when Iwaizumi called out to him softly, brushing the locks of hair that had fallen over his face out of the way, tucking them gently behind his ears.

“What time is it?” Oikawa asked, blinking sleepily. He rubbed at his eyes a few times, trying to dispel the muggy feeling in his body. His head was hurting a little, probably the effects of the alcohol, but when he saw Iwaizumi’s face peering at him softly, the headache started to clear.

“Around 1 am,” he answered. “Here, drink some water.” He uncapped a bottle and offered it to Oikawa, which Oikawa took happily.

“Where’d you get it?” Oikawa asked, not having seen any water in the car earlier.

“I picked it up from a 24 hours conbini. I also got you this.” He turned his body around to search for something placed on the back seat. When he turned back and handed Oikawa a couple of packets of milk bread, Oikawa couldn’t help but light up.

“You remembered,” he smiled, happily accepting the sweets. He handed the bottle back to Iwaizumi before ripping open a packet and biting down against the bread. It was still warm; he figured Iwaizumi must have picked it up recently. “Want some?” he asked, pushing the bread towards Iwaizumi’s face.

“No, thank you,” he shook his head softly. “You eat them. You’ll definitely need them. How much did you even have to drink?” He chuckled when Oikawa frowned. The milk bread stuffed between his cheeks made him look a little ridiculous but still very cute.

“I don’t know, probably more than I should have. I’m kind of a lightweight,” Oikawa admitted sheepishly.

“I knew it,” Iwaizumi smirked. “And you were trying to convince me that you handle your alcohol well. I’m glad we got out of there when we did,” he laughed.

“Hey, being a lightweight and handling your alcohol well are two _very_ different things,” Oikawa argued. “Did I throw up? Nope. I’d say I _do_ handle my alcohol well,” he grinned, taking another bite of the sweet bread, rocking his head back and forth in happiness at the taste. He had only ever mentioned liking milk bread once to Iwaizumi and that was back at the Spring Festival. He had never eaten it in front of the other man so Oikawa was surprised that he even remembered.

But he was very glad that he did.

“Fine, I guess that’s fair,” Iwaizumi conceded, biting his cheeks to hide his smile. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay, I promise,” he smiled. “You’re so nice, remembering that I love milk bread and going out of your way to buy it for me,” Oikawa said happily.

Iwaizumi coughed at the statement. “It wasn’t out of my way. I just happened to drive by the right place,” he shrugged.

“Hmm, you still remembered,” Oikawa mumbled cheerfully over his mouthful.

His cheeks were still flushed but it was more from happiness rather than the alcohol now. Against his milky skin however, any blush was noticeable, even in the dim light from inside the car. Oikawa was still curled up against his seat, legs pressed up to his chest comfortably, but they weren’t driving anymore. He peered outside to take in their surroundings and was surprised that despite the darkness outside, he could still make out a lake and a clearing of trees very clearly.

“Are we here?” he asked Iwaizumi curiously.

“Yeah. Let me know when you’re done eating and I’ll put the seats back so you can see the stars outside.”

Oikawa nodded, stuffing the rest of the milk bread in his mouth in one go excitedly. He smiled around the mouthful, swallowing it down with a little difficulty. “I’m done!”

Iwaizumi shook his head at Oikawa’s antics but didn’t protest. “Lie down,” he instructed. Oikawa did as he was told then Iwaizumi pressed a button and Oikawa could feel the seat retracting backwards.

“Ooh, fancy,” he giggled at the feeling. From this position, he could see the view from the moon roof perfectly. Oikawa lifted his legs and curled them against the seat because he liked the warmth that the proximity brought.

He was too taken in by the stars above him to notice the way Iwaizumi was staring at him, dazed by Oikawa's amazement. “The stars are so pretty,” Oikawa smiled, turning his head to face Iwaizumi.

That was when he noticed that Iwaizumi wasn’t even peering at the array of stars twinkling above them, but instead he was gazing straight at Oikawa, as if he _was_ the stars. It made Oikawa feel self-conscious because how could he compare to something so magical? The stars dotted the night sky, filling up the darkness completely with their tiny lights.

“They’re pretty, right?” he asked, clearing his throat and turning Iwaizumi’s head to face the shimmering lights above them.

Oikawa had always been taken in by the grandeur of the sky. It was so vast and filled with so many things that could be found as individual items here on Earth, but when they were put together and somehow left to evolve in the density known as the universe, they became so much _more_.

But even then, the stars had always been his favourite part. They were nothing more than balls of hydrogen and helium gas but they were so _beautiful_ and completely breathtaking. The fact that they were so far away, and sometimes no longer in existence yet they could be seen from this distance, had always amazed Oikawa.

“Hmm,” Iwaizumi mumbled, closing his hand over Oikawa’s. “They’re pretty,” he agreed, but his head had turned back to look at Oikawa.

“What are you looking at me for? Look at the _sky_ ,” Oikawa urged, nudging Iwaizumi slightly. The man in question grunted but didn’t protest more than that. He shifted his head back up so that he was looking out the moon roof instead of at Oikawa’s face.

They sat quietly for a few moments, Oikawa revelling in the beauty of the sky, Iwaizumi wondering how it was possible for someone to look like they belonged right there, in that vast expanse of shining lights.

“We can see Mount Fuji from here if we go out,” Iwaizumi said after a while.

“Really?” Oikawa asked, excited at the thought. “I can’t remember the last time I actually visited Mount Fuji; I think I was really young at the time but we don’t usually come down south,” he said thoughtfully.

“I’ve never been,” Iwaizumi shrugged.

“Let’s go one day,” Oikawa said brightly. He didn’t know what had overcome him to suggest something so brash but Iwaizumi didn’t seem opposed to the idea.

Instead, he nodded his head and smiled charmingly at Oikawa. “Yeah. Maybe during the summer break or something,” he agreed.

 _Summer break_. That was still a few months away, not until the very end of July. The fact that Iwaizumi was thinking three months ahead made Oikawa face him with a bright smile. He squeezed their hands together tighter, bringing them up so he could kiss the knuckles of Iwaizumi’s hands tenderly.

“What?” Iwaizumi chuckled nervously at the sudden affection.

“This is a date, right?” Oikawa asked bluntly.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi nodded immediately, confusion written all over his face.

Oikawa hummed happily at the confirmation. “So date number three, huh? Does this mean you’re going to ask me to be your boyfriend now?” he asked teasingly.

His tone was light and airy, but the seriousness of his question took Iwaizumi by surprise. Especially when he searched Oikawa’s eyes and found them shining with an expression he had never seen before.

“Is that some kind of rule?” Iwaizumi asked nervously. Oikawa shook his head, but his face fell at the question. Oikawa hadn’t exactly been joking when he asked that; it was his way of broaching the topic and it stung a little that his plan hadn’t gone the right way. “Because if there is, that’s stupid. I’d have asked you to be my boyfriend the first day I saw you if I could have without it being weird,” Iwaizumi continued.

Screw a fucking plan.

Oikawa wasn’t sure he could take much more of Iwaizumi’s perfect, well, _everything_.

“You liked me the first time you saw me?” he asked quietly, pulling Iwaizumi’s face as close to his as possible without either of them actually moving their heads off the seats they were resting against.

“Hmm,” he agreed. “Why do you think I didn’t come back until four days later? I was taken aback by how charming you were and I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of you, especially considering I didn’t know _anything_ about coffee,” he laughed, face flushed from the honesty.

“You _still_ don’t know anything about coffee, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa reminded playfully. But Iwaizumi’s admission had put a matching, happy blush on Oikawa’s face.

Iwaizumi gaped at him half-heartedly. “Quit being an asshole. I’m telling you something embarrassing,” he scolded.

“Want me to tell you something embarrassing in return?” Oikawa asked nervously. Iwaizumi looked at him curiously, then nodded. “I may or may not have jerked off to the thought of you the day you gave me your number,” he said quickly.

Oikawa pulled his hand out from Iwaizumi’s own and used it to cover his face as he turned away from the other man. Iwaizumi remained eerily silent for a few seconds before he started laughing. Oikawa felt his face heat up in embarrassment. Why the fuck had he even said that? He could have easily kept it a secret for the rest of his life. He supposed that the alcohol still wasn’t out of his system considering it had only been about an hour and half since his last drink, otherwise he would have _never_ said something so reckless.

When Iwaizumi didn’t stop laughing however, Oikawa felt his face heat up in something more than just embarrassment. He turned his face back to glare daggers at the other man, who had enough sense to stop chuckling when he saw the look of anger flit across Oikawa’s face unapologetically.

“Oikawa,” he started hesitantly, face sober and devoid of all previous amusement.

“That’s not funny. I should never have told you,” he pouted. Unlike all the other times he had jokingly sulked, the quiver in his lip was real this time.

“I wasn’t laughing at you,” Iwaizumi continued, trying to hold Oikawa’s hand in his own again. But Oikawa was stubborn and he felt slighted, so he crossed his arms and tucked his hands under his armpits, away from Iwaizumi's reach.

“I promise I wasn’t,” Iwaizumi said a little more desperately. “Come on, look at me and I’ll tell you why I was laughing,” he answered, gently nudging Oikawa’s hands out from their hiding place.

Oikawa let him hold them in his own before turning his still very embarrassed face to meet Iwaizumi’s gaze.

“Fine,” he huffed.

“I was laughing because I was relieved that you seem to like me just as much as I like you,” he answered honestly.

Oikawa was stunned by the honesty. He felt his face heat up again, but this time, it was a different sort of embarrassment – one that left him feeling warm on the inside, like he was basking in the heat of an onsen.

“Of course I _like you_ ,” Oikawa repeated slowly.

“I know that,” Iwaizumi answered. “I always did, but it’s nice to hear it again,” he smiled sincerely.

“I don’t know if I should be thrilled or annoyed with you right now,” Oikawa frowned. He pushed himself off his seat and leaned all his weight on his right elbow so he could place a chaste kiss to Iwaizumi’s lips. “But since you drove us in the middle of the night to stargaze, I’m leaning more towards thrilled,” he smiled, placing another soft kiss on his lips before lying back down in his seat.

Iwaizumi squeezed his hand tightly, thumb brushing along the back of it soothingly. “Just so we’re clear, you’re not mad about the whole, you know, jerking off thing, right?” Oikawa asked hesitantly.

“Mad? More like flattered,” Iwaizumi laughed, tracing the outline of Oikawa’s blush with his unoccupied hand. “Cute,” he mumbled absentmindedly.

“What?” Oikawa asked, even though he had heard him just fine.

“I said you’re cute. _Especially_ when you blush,” Iwaizumi grinned. “Makes me want to embarrass you all the time,” he whispered against Oikawa’s ear.

The suddenness of Iwaizumi’s tongue and teeth that reached out to trace the shell of his ear made Oikawa jump slightly, which only served to increase his blush _and_ Iwaizumi’s laughter.

“Iwa-chan, you're distracting me,” Oikawa complained. “We're supposed to be watching the stars,” he reminded, pulling away from Iwaizumi's touch if only so that he could let his poor, exerted face catch a break from being red.

“Alright, fine,” Iwaizumi agreed, moving back to his own seat. “Do you want to go outside? It's a little cold but I have a blanket in the trunk. You can see everything better from out there,” he gestured vaguely outside the window. 

“Yeah, let's do that,” Oikawa agreed instantly. Screw being cold – he wanted to be able to see the stars and Mount Fuji across the lake from outside. Iwaizumi had driven them all this way and he’d be damned if he let an opportunity like that go to waste.

Oikawa let Iwaizumi get out of the car first while he slipped his shoes back on his feet before stepping out as well. Iwaizumi handed him the blanket, which he happily wrapped around himself and beckoned for Iwaizumi to join him in the space he'd made. It didn't take very much convincing to get Iwaizumi huddled up right next to him, both of them sitting on the hood of the black car with their legs stretched out in front of them, wrapped in the warm red blanket.

“ _So pretty_ ,” Oikawa cooed again, taking in the sight of the lights reflecting off the lake. The slight breeze caused the water to ripple and the reflections to shift, causing the individual dots to spread out across the water like a stream of lights, making the lake _glow_.

On the opposite side of the lake, across from them, Oikawa could see Mount Fuji, just like Iwaizumi said he'd be able to. He couldn't remember it looking as nice as it did now, the last time he was here. To be fair, it _had been_ a long time ago and while he loved his family, coming here again with Iwaizumi was just a tad bit more special.

There was also something captivating about the way the mountain looked like it blended into the night sky, fading into the canvas of stars. Yet at the same time, it also stood out amongst them, standing tall and proud in the night, almost like a guardian.

“I like how peaceful it is here,” Iwaizumi observed. “It kind of reminds of back home. Tokyo's really big and crowded so it's hard to see the stars.”

“I know what you mean,” Oikawa agreed. “I grew up seeing the stars all the time. It's actually what made me fall in love with the night, and it was a big change to come from that to Tokyo. But then you're reminded of how beautiful the sky really is when you do get the chance to see it again so you don't take it for granted,” Oikawa mused. 

“I guess when you put it like that,” Iwaizumi chuckled, pulling Oikawa closer to him. The wind had picked up a little and Oikawa wasn't going to object to soaking up more of Iwaizumi's body heat. He wondered how someone could be so warm all the time.

“Do you miss home?” Oikawa asked quietly, leaning into Iwaizumi’s chest. 

The last time he had visited Miyagi had been in March, right before the new school year had started, but Oikawa was used to only going back home a few times a year ever since he moved to Tokyo for university. He couldn’t imagine how homesick Iwaizumi must feel though, considering he had gone to a university close to his hometown for two years before transferring down to Keidai. 

It was a long move, and Oikawa still wasn’t sure why Iwaizumi had come here in the first place, but he was still a little drunk and he didn’t want to ruin the peaceful atmosphere that they had created around themselves with that conversation.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi nodded. “I miss my mum,” he admitted with a small laugh, running his hands down the length of Oikawa’s arm, making his hair stand up from the shivers that wracked through him at the feeling. 

“And your dad?” Oikawa added, sighing contently at the feeling of Iwaizumi’s hands on him.

Iwaizumi paused at the question. “Yeah,” he agreed. “And my dad.”

It was obvious he didn’t want to talk about his parents or Hokkaido, so Oikawa dropped the subject, letting them bask in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Iwaizumi continued to rub his hand soothingly over Oikawa’s arm, dipping his fingers lower to spread across his thigh every once in a while as well. 

It was quiet, and a little chilly, but it was also really _nice_ , and Oikawa couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this happy.

“You can see Jupiter this time of the year, did you know that?” Oikawa asked brightly, the twinkling white flicker in the sky catching his eye. 

“Really?”

“Hmm, look there,” Oikawa shuffled the blanket around a little to take out his arm. He wrapped the rest of it back over himself comfortably before he pointed up into the sky with his index finger. “It's not the best time of the night to spot it because it's kind of dim now but notice how it's whiter than the other dots around it?”

Iwaizumi frowned, as he followed Oikawa’s pointed finger, but then something clicked and he nodded. “I think I see it,” he smiled. “How'd you know that?” 

“I know lots of things, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa grinned brightly. “Oh and to the left of it, the bluish looking dot is Regulus. It's the brightest star in the Leo constellation,” he explained. “Then below Jupiter you see how there's a larger triangle of stars, with a smaller one below it before they start to extend – doesn't that kind of look like a snake?” he grinned excitedly. 

“Huh, I guess it does.” Iwaizumi tilted his head to get a better look. 

“That constellation is called Hydra, which was a snake in Greek mythology by the way,” Oikawa explained happily. When Iwaizumi looked at him with a thoughtful expression his grin just widened. “Cool, right?” 

“You're definitely cool. I didn't know you knew all of that,” Iwaizumi stared at him awestruck. 

“I wasn't talking about me,” Oikawa blushed furiously. Iwaizumi chuckled and kissed his cheek to appease him, but that just made Oikawa’s blush spread across his face and down his neck. “I like this kind of stuff. Makes the night more interesting when you know what's going on,” he explained. 

“Keep going,” Iwaizumi urged. “Tell me all the other ones you know,” he insisted. 

“Yeah, okay,” Oikawa agreed happily.

He took Iwaizumi's hand in his and started pointing at the different constellations and stars and planets he could see, trying his best to point out all the ones he knew to Iwaizumi. Yamanakako had a lot more stars than he was used to and he didn't know what everything in the night sky was but Oikawa made a mental note to find out. The next time they came here, he was going to blow Iwaizumi away with his improved knowledge. 

But the way Iwaizumi was looking at him completely mesmerized by Oikawa's enthusiasm made Oikawa feel like he was already blown away. 

He didn't know how long they sat outside for, wrapped up in the blanket and each other's warmth. At some point, Oikawa leaned his head down against Iwaizumi's lap and started to close his eyes, mumbling more facts that he knew quietly. Iwaizumi listened to him attentively, running a hand through Oikawa's hair absentmindedly the whole time.

It was quiet and peaceful, and probably the nicest date he had ever been on. It was almost unbelievable that they had come so far in just a month.

When Oikawa's fingers started to tremble against the cold and he shivered visibly, Iwaizumi nudged him lightly. “Let's go back inside. You're freezing.” He dropped his hand to cup Oikawa's cheek to check his statement and was unsurprised to find that his face was incredibly cold. 

“But I want to watch the sky,” he protested childishly. “We have the blanket, and Iwa-chan is warm! You can just keep me from freezing,” Oikawa argued stubbornly. 

“You'll get sick,” Iwaizumi reminded. Oikawa pouted, turning his head to bury it in Iwaizumi's stomach at the response. He huffed hot air against him, making Iwaizumi squirm. “If you're sick, I won't kiss you until you're better,” he threatened, hiding his smile. 

Oikawa frowned at the thought before agreeing begrudgingly. “ _Fine_.” The thought of Iwaizumi holding physical affection as hostage was more than enough to convince Oikawa to do as he was told. He stared longingly at the sky once more before heading back into the car, taking the blanket Iwaizumi had given him with him. 

Iwaizumi pulled the seats back up so they could sit up straight, which made Oikawa look at him questioningly. “Are you driving back?”

“Hmm, its like 4 am, I'm kind of tired,” he chuckled. 

“You wanna sleep in the car?” Oikawa questioned. 

“I was thinking we'd find an inn or something instead. Stay the night then head back in the morning,” he shrugged. “It's Sunday and I made no important plans as per your request,” he chuckled. 

Oikawa nodded, agreeing to Iwaizumi's suggestion. He felt like he was going to pass out soon but sleeping in a car didn't sound very appealing at all. Still, he couldn't help but tease Iwaizumi a little. “Taking me to an inn on our third date, how very forward of you, Iwa-chan” he grinned lazily. 

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said seriously. “I sucked your dick last night. I think we're past the _forward_ stage,” he deadpanned. 

Oikawa stuttered at the comeback, wholly unprepared for it. “And yet, you still haven't asked me to be your boyfriend,” he managed to say shakily. 

“Really?” Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows. 

“Really,” Oikawa nodded seriously. 

“I thought it was kind of obvious…” 

“I won't know if I don't hear you say it,” Oikawa sing-songed. 

He expected Iwaizumi to protest a little more, to say ‘no’ and wave it off as being embarrassing. Instead, Iwaizumi shifted his body so he was face to face with Oikawa before taking Oikawa's hands and wrapping them in his own. “Oikawa Tooru, will you please be my boyfriend?” he asked without a trace of humour. 

Oikawa's mouth fell open at the action. He had been teasing. He hadn't actually expected Iwaizumi to _follow through_ with his demands. 

“Geez,” Iwaizumi sighed, lips quirking up in a small smile. “After making such a big deal, you don't even say ‘yes.’ Well this is embarrassing for me.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa said suddenly, pulling his arms out from the blanket and throwing them around Iwaizumi's neck. “ _Yes, yes, yes_ ,” he repeated, peppering kisses all over Iwaizumi's face. 

Iwaizumi indulged him for a little while, even going so far as to take Oikawa's head in his hands and kiss him squarely on the mouth, before he pulled away and insisted that unless Oikawa wanted to sleep in the car, he'd let Iwaizumi find them a place to stay. 

Luckily, Yamanakako was a very popular tourist area and finding a vacant inn room even at this time of the night wasn’t too difficult – though the inn managers didn’t look too impressed with their flushed cheeks and the vague smell of alcohol around them. 

Still, they got into an inn just fine, even if it took them an extra half hour to actually make it into the room thanks to Oikawa's wandering hands that made it _very_ difficult for Iwaizumi to focus on anything but him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa is kind of a dork, but Iwaizumi adores that he is! ♡ I enjoy writing them so much and seeing all the positive feedback from all my readers makes me want to write them even more *_* thank you so much for all your support so far! this is honestly my fav thing I have ever written and I'll let you in on a little secret, I've got at least 25 chapters of this planned but we'll see if it goes longer than that~ c:
> 
> next time:  
> \- Oikawa gets grilled by Akaashi and Suga  
> \- more (?) serious (?) conversations (?)
> 
> I hope you can leave me a comment or kudos if you enjoyed! ♡


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow I got so much positive feedback from the fluff in the last chapter, and I just want to say I am _floored_. I honestly thought people might be put off by how tooth rotting the chapter was but THANK YOU, I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!! 
> 
> and guys **guess what**!! soupfulness @ tumblr (misterlion on ao3) made this fucking fantastic **[fanart](http://soupfulness.tumblr.com/post/162353650742/iwaizumi-hajime-huh-oikawa-asked-just-as)** for this fic ahhh!! y'all should check it out and also the rest of their art because it's so cute and uwu ♡

“So where'd you go on Saturday? I didn't see you at the party at all, and then Kuroo said something about you fighting with Ushiwaka. You didn't _actually_ start a fight with him, did you?” Akaashi asked, peering up at Oikawa over his sketchbook. 

“You were there?” Oikawa asked, purposely ignoring Akaashi's question about the fight.

“I was, although I didn’t get there till late. Whose brilliant idea was it to make it so far? It took me an hour to get there by train,” Akaashi cursed.

“Iwa-chan gave me a ride,” Oikawa said proudly, hiding his smile behind his phone.

Akaashi looked wholly unamused with Oikawa’s blatant bragging. “Put your phone down,” he chastised. “And you didn’t answer my question,” he reminded.

Oikawa stuck his tongue out, but did as he was told. He placed his phone down face first on the table in front of him and resumed his sitting position in the corner booth, wiggling his posture a bit until Akaashi clucked his tongue to signal that he looked fine.

Oikawa didn’t know why he had even agreed to let Akaashi sketch him in the first place. The other man could have chosen anyone else, so Oikawa supposed it _was_ a compliment but sitting still for so long was uncomfortable and _boring_.

“If my manager comes in, I’m probably going to get in trouble,” he said flippantly.

“Your manager never comes in. You basically run this place. Does she even care what you do?” Akaashi reminded with a small laugh. He peered up at Oikawa absentmindedly from across the table, most of his attention still on the sketchbook balanced between his legs and the edge of the shiny glass table.

“Not really. She’s kind of crazy but nice. Reminds me a bit of my older sister actually with the way she pinches my cheeks sometimes.” Oikawa’s face twisted at the memory. His sister was six years older than him and although they were at that age where the age gap didn’t matter so much, she still liked to treat Oikawa like a baby.

“But I guess I can’t complain considering she really does let us do whatever we want, as long as we’re not burning the place down and we’re making profit,” he shrugged.

“Huh, must be nice,” Akaashi mused. Oikawa hummed in agreement. “Anyway, answer the damn question before I put a horrible error on your face and make this sketch famous,” he threatened.

Oikawa opened his mouth to argue but decided against it. Akaashi was talented and even if people didn’t believe that the picture was really _him_ , he had no doubt that it would still be humiliating.

“No, of course not," Oikawa scowled. "The asshole came up to me, if anything, and started spouting his bullshit elitist crap as always.” 

“But you didn't fight him, right?” Akaashi asked again. Oikawa wanted to tell him off for being nosy, but his friend was just _concerned_ , so Oikawa pushed aside his pride and shook his head sullenly.

“Well not _physically_ ,” Oikawa confirmed tetchily. “I’m not stupid, Aka-chan. I may hate Ushiwaka with a burning passion but I know he’d probably kick my ass in a straight up brawl,” he admitted.

Oikawa didn’t like to be on the losing side, and while Ushijima liked to point out to him that he often _was_ on the losing side when it was a competition between the two, Oikawa wouldn’t voluntarily give the guy more ammo.

“I hate that nickname,” Akaashi narrowed his eyes. Oikawa stuck his tongue out in retaliation. So sue him for being a little bit of a brat. “But good,” Akaashi confirmed, turning his eyes down to the paper in front of him. “I’m almost done,” he promised when Oikawa started to fidget again.

“I just want to check my phone, come on Akaashi, you can let me do that, right?” Oikawa whined, fingers moving slowly against the table to reach for his phone.

Iwaizumi had been texting him throughout his lecture and Oikawa didn’t know when this kind of an opportunity would arise again. Iwaizumi was too good of a student and usually kept his phone on silent in his bag during his lectures. Today happened to be Oikawa’s lucky day though, because his lecture was either too boring, or he was starting to give in to Oikawa’s charm.

Oikawa liked to believe that it was the latter.

Despite having spent basically the entire weekend with Iwaizumi, Oikawa couldn’t get enough of the other man’s presence. They had met each other for lunch briefly just yesterday between classes, but Oikawa hadn’t seen Iwaizumi _at all_ today, which had dampened his mood a little bit.

“Quit whining. You can go a few minutes without texting your precious boyfriend,” Akaashi rolled his eyes, reaching across the table to swipe Oikawa’s phone out of his reach. Oikawa jutted his bottom lip out in protest but didn’t argue further. He sat back against the black leather seat of the booth, and hummed obnoxiously, if only so that Akaashi would finish faster.

Akaashi didn’t seem bothered by Oikawa’s moody attitude. In fact, it made him smile, although he didn’t look up to meet Oikawa’s eyes again. Instead, he focused on the sketch in front of him with practiced patience.

If Oikawa was being honest with himself, he just wanted to see what Akaashi was doing that was taking him so long. Warm-up sketches were something his friend did often and he was _good_ at them, which also meant they didn’t take him long. For some reason though, Akaashi was spending an awfully long time on just _one_ practice sketch, and of Oikawa’s face no less. He could have probably sketched that in his sleep considering how well they knew one another.

Before Oikawa’s patience could run out though, the door to the shop chimed. There were enough people to work the counter that Oikawa’s help wasn’t required but he looked towards the door out of habit anyway, and was both pleased and confused to see Suga’s figure popping in.

He _was_ grateful for the distraction though, because it gave him something to do other than stare at Akaashi over his sketchbook impatiently. Akaashi was good company, unless he was working on his art, at which point he either responded with vague answers or hums and nods – all of those things didn’t help Oikawa at the moment.

“What are you doing here?” Oikawa tilted his head curiously at Suga.

“Am I not allowed to be here or something?” Suga asked, sliding into the booth next to Akaashi. “Oh that’s new, but I like it,” he complimented, looking between Akaashi’s sketchbook and Oikawa’s face.

“ _Let me see_ ,” Oikawa said petulantly.

Both Akaashi and Suga rolled their eyes at Oikawa’s complaint but neither of them bothered to grace him with a comment. Oikawa’s face twisted down into a deeper frown until Akaashi gently nudged his foot under the table and raised his eyebrows at Oikawa expectantly. Oikawa reluctantly changed his expression back to a neutral one.

“So what are you really doing here?” Oikawa asked, turning his attention towards Suga. “I thought you had dinner plans with Daichi and no offense, but you don’t exactly look ready for a date,” Oikawa said eyeing Suga’s grey hoodie and jeans.

“Is that your way of telling me I look bad?” Suga asked slowly. The glint in his eyes contradicted his threatening tone.

Oikawa grinned and shook his head. “You know I never think you look bad.”

The answer seemed to please Suga as he hummed happily. “If you must know, I got ditched,” he sighed dramatically. “For your boyfriend, no less,” he added, staring pointedly at Oikawa.

“ _What_? Iwa-chan told me he was busy tonight when I asked him if he wanted to get dinner. What the fuck? I can’t believe he’d ditch me for Daichi,” Oikawa frowned. “Again, no offense,” Oikawa added as an afterthought.

Suga waved off the semi-apology. “Join the club,” he sighed, placing his chin between his palms and resting his elbows on the table. “Something about lab reports and re-doing their experiment ‘ _just in case_ ,’” he quoted with a roll of his eyes.

“Ugh,” Oikawa responded, understanding Suga’s frustration. He had wanted to see Iwaizumi again, even if it was just for a few minutes. He knew that the other man was busy, but everyone had to take a small dinner break, right?

Apparently not though, considering Iwaizumi had firmly denied the suggestion when Oikawa first brought it up. Oikawa hadn’t initially been upset by it, especially considering Iwaizumi was more than making it up to him by texting him throughout the day – which Oikawa now realized was probably due to some form of guilt – but now that he knew what exactly, or _who exactly_ he was being ditched for, he wasn’t so pleased.

“Are you two really complaining about your boyfriends being _good students_?” Akaashi asked with a light chuckle.

“ _Yes_ ,” Suga and Oikawa responded in unison.

“Wait, is Iwaizumi actually your boyfriend? When did this happen? You never tell me anything anymore, you jackass,” Suga narrowed his eyes, reaching over the table to grab at the collar of Oikawa’s crisp, white work shirt angrily.

“ _Akaashi_ ,” Oikawa whined, turning towards his friend for assistance. He was met with a shrug and an indifferent look.

“Come on, give it up, when did this happen?” Suga prodded, bringing Oikawa’s face closer to his across the booth.

“Shit, Suga, you don’t know your own damn strength,” Oikawa huffed. He pushed Suga’s arms away from his shirt before straightening it out.

Akaashi didn’t look bothered by the display, which was apparently normal enough to not warrant a reaction.

“Saturday after the party, or well, I guess it was Sunday since it was like 4 am when this happened,” Oikawa hummed, smiling at the memory.

“Don’t think you’re getting off that easily. I want every single fucking detail. Give me enough that I can live vicariously through you, at least for the night considering my schedule is clear and I am in need of some exciting information,” he urged.

“Fine,” Oikawa agreed. “I take it you know what happened with Ushiwaka?”

Suga nodded to confirm that he had heard of the little incident.

“Well, Iwa-chan came in during that spat and kind of diffused the situation – I don’t know if you were there for that or not – but Ushiwaka had already ruined my mood so I asked him if he could take me home and he agree,” Oikawa started.

Suga opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it at the dirty look Oikawa threw him.

“I honestly thought the night was a bust but then Iwa-chan suggested we didn’t end it on a bad note so we, well _he_ , drove us to Yamanakako, which was really nice by the way, and we ended up staying out till early morning just stargazing,” Oikawa sighed dreamily.

“If you tell me he asked you to be his boyfriend while fucking _stargazing_ I’m going to kick you in the shins,” Suga chuckled. Despite his words, his tone of voice was light and it looked like he was genuinely happy for Oikawa.

“Then let me move away first, because that’s _exactly_ what happened,” Oikawa smirked. “Iwa-chan’s the best, isn’t he?” Oikawa asked, remembering what he had said about liking him the moment he saw him. It made Oikawa blush at the memory, which didn’t go unnoticed by his friends.

“I’m going to cut you off right there. I don’t want to know any more of what happened during that night,” Akaashi said warily.

“Screw that, tell me _everything_ ,” Suga insisted, eyes sparkling.

Oikawa chuckled at the mixed reactions. “Nothing more happened,” he shrugged. “I was still kind of tipsy at that point and he was sober considering he drove. We stayed the night in an inn and spent our morning near Lake Yamanaka before heading back to Tokyo on Sunday. I swear he won’t do more than hesitantly touch me when he’s sober and I’m not, so that was the end of my night,” Oikawa sighed.

He wasn’t complaining though. Kissing Iwaizumi was just as nice as everything else, and he _was_ grateful for how kind Iwaizumi was. He was a gentleman through and through.

“Ah, that is so _romantic_ ,” Suga cooed. “He must really like you to drive that far just to cheer you up,” Suga smiled.

Oikawa blushed, unsure how to respond. “You know he told me he thought I was _charming_ when he first saw me,” Oikawa smiled shyly.

Suga’s jaw nearly hit the table, but he schooled his features quickly. “Well look at you, with your stupidly perfect boyfriend,” Suga rolled his eyes, but he smiled through the words. “I’m happy for you,” he added honestly.

“Me too,” Akaashi confirmed. “You two seem to balance each other out and he fits in with all of our friends so easily, doesn’t he?” he mused.

“Yeah,” Oikawa chuckled, smiling brightly. Iwaizumi _did_ fit in with all of his friends well. He supposed they were also _his_ friends at this point. Oikawa was pretty certain Iwaizumi knew more about Daichi than anyone, except for maybe Suga, did considering all the time they spent together in classes and outside.

So far, Iwaizumi had impressed everyone and it made Oikawa’s heart swell up in pride that his friends liked him so much. They were all important to him in different ways and he wasn’t sure what he would have done if one party didn’t like the other.

But he didn’t have anything to worry about, thankfully. Just yesterday he had overheard Bokuto and Kuroo fighting over who would get dibs on getting Iwaizumi to spot for them first the next time they were at the gym together. It made Oikawa roll his eyes but it also made him feel happier than he could have imagined. His friends liked Iwaizumi, and it made Oikawa more aware of how much _he_ liked the other man because of it.

It was unfair how great he was, but Oikawa couldn’t bring himself to complain about it considering Iwaizumi had decided to share his all his affections with Oikawa for some unknown reason.

Sometimes, Oikawa was still taken aback by the fact that Iwaizumi _liked him_. He liked Oikawa despite his occasional childish behaviour and his constant need for affection and reassurance.

He liked him _for him_ , and Oikawa hadn’t felt this happy about someone in a very long time. He didn’t have to hide any parts of his personality because while Iwaizumi did complain about it sometimes, he didn’t genuinely seem bothered by Oikawa.

“I’m done,” Akaashi called out, breaking Oikawa from his own thoughts. He neatly removed the paper from his sketchbook and handed it to Oikawa along with his phone.

“ _Whoa_ ,” he breathed, taking in the robotic look of Akaashi’s sketch. Half of his face had been drawn normally while the other half was a smattering of geometric shapes and gears that all fit with one another so well. “Very steampunk,” Oikawa admired. “I didn’t know you were into this, but _wow_ , it looks great,” he beamed.

“Ah yeah, I’ve been trying something new. I thought I’d expand my art style and mix in traditional art with something more modern,” Akaashi explained humbly.

“What are you embarrassed for? It looks fantastic!” Suga confirmed, patting Akaashi’s back comfortingly. He lifted his hand in Oikawa’s direction and Oikawa handed the paper to Suga to look at properly.

“Thank you,” Akaashi acknowledged happily. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you but there’s a small art show at the campus art museum this Friday. I have two works on display there this year, so I get more people to invite,” he smiled. “It’ll probably be a stuffy thing, but there’s free food and drinks, although please don’t feel pressured to come – only if you’re free,” he insisted.

“Akaashi, don’t be stupid. Of course we’ll come,” Suga smiled.

“Yeah, we can’t miss out on the opportunity to support you while you’re still trying to make a name for yourself. Don’t forget us when you’re famous, alright?” Oikawa teased. “What time is the event?” he added, beaming at Akaashi’s humbled expression.

“It starts at 6 pm, but you technically don’t have to arrive until 8 pm. The first two hours will just be our professors grading us on our progress from last year, so the food doesn’t even come out until they’re done,” Akaashi explained. “Oh, and of course the invite extends to Daichi and Iwaizumi,” he added.

“To be honest, I don’t know if they’ll come because they have class until 7 pm on Fridays but we’ll definitely be there,” Suga smiled reassuringly, pointing between himself and Oikawa. Oikawa nodded his approval.

“I’ll text you the dress code then,” Akaashi said, nudging Suga to move out of the booth so he could slide out. “Thanks for coming. I really appreciate it.”

Akaashi looked pleased and Oikawa couldn’t help but beam at his friend in response. It wasn’t all too long ago that he had been reserved or at least, _quiet_ around Oikawa.

Oikawa had honestly been surprised when Bokuto introduced Akaashi as one of his _closest friends_ , considering how widely different their personalities were. But Oikawa learned that while Akaashi was extremely polite, he did have a wild streak that appeared sometimes. In the end, Oikawa was grateful for their friendship and how far they had come in just one year alone.

“Sure, see you soon, Akaashi,” Oikawa replied, before remembering he still had the sketch. “Oh, here, you probably want this back,” he lifted the paper up towards Akaashi’s standing figure.

“No, you can keep it,” he insisted.

“Really? This is so nice though,” he gaped in awe. “Besides, what am I supposed to do with a portrait of myself?” Oikawa laughed.

“What is _Akaashi_ supposed to do with a portrait of you in that case?” Suga retorted.

“Give it to Iwaizumi or something,” Akaashi shrugged. “I’m sure he’d love to have a one of a kind picture of his new boyfriend.” His expression was almost unreadable if it wasn’t for the small twitch of his lips that Oikawa spotted.

“You’re terrible,” Oikawa complained, but his words held nothing but affection.

“Yeah, yeah, see you Friday if anything,” Akaashi waved before tucking his sketchbook into his messenger bag and walking towards the door.

Oikawa waited for his friend to leave before he looked down at the sketch in his hands. Akaashi had called it a _sketch_ but in Oikawa’s opinion, it was way more than that. Akaashi had always been good at visualizing his thoughts and putting them to paper, but Oikawa was constantly blown away by his improvement and his insight all the same.

“You know what I think?” Suga asked once Akaashi had left. He shuffled back into the cozy black leather seat of the booth, sitting face-to-face with Oikawa.

“Hmm?” Oikawa asked, tearing his eyes away from the drawing in front of him. “What do you think?”

“That we should guilt trip Daichi and Iwaizumi into taking us out to dinner for ditching us tonight,” Suga hummed thoughtfully.

Oikawa’s face split into a grin at the suggestion. “You’re so mean, Suga,” he laughed.

“Is that a no?” Suga raised his eyebrows knowingly.

“That’s a hell yes,” Oikawa corrected. “Make sure we get to pick the place though. There’s that new restaurant that opened up on the north side of campus that apparently makes really good tonkatsu.”

“Expensive,” Suga hummed. “Done,” he agreed.

Oikawa laughed at how easy it was for Suga’s mood to turn around. He was an optimist through and through. While Oikawa didn’t have that kind of an outlook and he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to, he admired his friend for being so positive. And if the optimism was contagious then so be it; Oikawa needed a little bit of a sunny view on life sometimes anyway.

They chatted like that for a few hours, Suga keeping Oikawa company until his shift ended. And when he was ready to close up for the day and bid Suga goodbye, the door opened to reveal Daichi and Iwaizumi.

Oikawa couldn’t help but notice the slightly guilty looks on both of their faces, but the delight he felt at seeing Iwaizumi again was enough to make him forget just _why_ his boyfriend was sporting such a sheepish expression.

“Hey,” Iwaizumi waved in greeting. “I heard you were still working so I thought I could walk you home,” he offered.

Oikawa’s stomach fluttered at the gesture and his impossibly wide smile widened further at hearing Iwaizumi’s proposal.

“Don’t think you’re getting off that easily,” Oikawa chuckled, watching Iwaizumi’s nervousness visibly increase with Oikawa’s comment. “I was just kidding, I know school comes first,” Oikawa reassured with a smile.

He placed a quick kiss to Iwaizumi’s lips to prove that he meant what he had said. “But Suga has this idea that you and Daichi need to make it up to us so I have to tell you that you’re not getting off that easily,” he added.

“Hey, don’t throw me under the bus like that, you jerk,” Suga shouted upon hearing his name. “But yes, you’re going to have to make it up to us. Just so you know, _Oikawa_ picked a really expensive place,” he emphasized, smirking at Oikawa’s reaction. Oikawa supposed that it was only fair considering he had ousted Suga’s plans first.

“Alright, I know better than to argue with Suga. What do you say, Iwaizumi?” Daichi chuckled, pulling Suga into a one-armed hug. Oikawa watched the silver haired man’s expression brighten impossibly at the touch. He briefly wondered if that was how he looked around Iwaizumi.

“I guess I have no choice in the matter,” Iwaizumi shrugged, expression stoic. At least, it was until Oikawa poked his cheek and his face split into a wide grin.

“Don’t act like you don’t want to take me out to dinner. I’m a great date, in case you’ve forgotten,” Oikawa pouted.

“Sorry, sorry,” Iwaizumi laughed, eyes crinkling at the sight of Oikawa’s putout expression. “You’re always the best date,” he added not so quietly at the end.

Oikawa’s mood improved at hearing the compliment. His lips parted into a wide smile and a light pink blush dusted his cheeks because he could never get over Iwaizumi saying such sincere things to him.

“Gross, let’s get out of here before I’m forced to witness any more of this.” Suga motioned in Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s general direction, before smiling. “Goodnight, guys,” he greeted, followed suit by Daichi’s own greeting.

“Night!” Oikawa waved back.

“Later,” Iwaizumi nodded. “We’re good, right?” Iwaizumi asked once the door had closed behind Suga and Daichi’s retreating figures, leaving him and Oikawa alone with only the faint sound of the chiming bell breaking the silence.

Oikawa looked up from the tables where he had moved to stack the chairs away. “Of course we are. Why would you ask that?” He tiled his head thoughtfully in Iwaizumi’s direction, confusion spread across his features.

“I don’t know,” Iwaizumi chuckled nervously. “I feel bad that I’m always busy.”

Oikawa felt his cheeks flare up at the confession. “You’re not _always_ busy,” he insisted. “Besides, just because I don’t see you a lot doesn’t mean I’m going to be mad at _you_ for it.” He moved away from the neatly stacked chairs and took Iwaizumi’s hand in his own. “What can I do about my boyfriend being a perfect student?” he teased.

Despite what he had told Akaashi and Suga a few hours ago about being annoyed, he wasn't deep down. Not really, anyway, because how could he ever be annoyed about something like Iwaizumi _working hard_? It was admirable, really, even if it left Oikawa with no distraction, but hey, Oikawa knew how to be alone, and he always had his friends to hang out with as well, which he had been doing long before Iwaizumi came into his life, anyway.

“ _Oikawa_ ,” Iwaizumi groaned shyly.

“Want me to prove it?” Oikawa asked, eyes glinting mischievously.

“Prove what?” Iwaizumi asked innocently, but his smirk overpowered his nonchalance.

“How good we really are,” Oikawa answered without missing a beat. He brushed lips along Iwaizumi’s slowly, leaving a trail of kisses from his lips up his jaw before taking Iwaizumi’s earlobe between his teeth and biting down lightly.

“I’ll let you take me home tonight,” he whispered in his ear. “I’ll even let you fuck me,” he added, feeling his face flush at the boldness.

However, Oikawa had nothing to worry about because Iwaizumi’s own face was just as red, if not more than Oikawa’s. It didn’t even look like he had noticed Oikawa’s embarrassment because his eyebrows were furrowed intensely in thought. It was kind of cute, and made Oikawa want to laugh, but he bit the inside of his cheek and settled on hiding his smile behind tight lips.

Oikawa didn’t have to ask what Iwaizumi was thinking so deeply about though because he got his response within seconds, even if it wasn’t what he was looking for.

“Shit, Oikawa, I really want to, but don’t you have an 8 am class tomorrow? It’s going to be nearing midnight before we get back and I don’t want to rush our first time,” he admitted embarrassedly.

“I can skip it. It’s only statistics,” Oikawa offered seriously, brushing his fingers along the length of Iwaizumi’s arms slowly. He moved his face to bury it in Iwaizumi’s neck, breathing in his smell deeply.

“You’re not skipping class,” Iwaizumi deadpanned.

“You’re so mean to me,” Oikawa cried dramatically, pulling away to look Iwaizumi in the eyes. “It’s like you just don’t want to have sex with me,” he said dejectedly.

Iwaizumi chuckled at his antics, pulling him in for a slow kiss. When they parted, Oikawa’s eyes were glossed over and a new rosy tint had spread from his cheeks all the way up to his ears.

“That’s definitely _not_ it. You make it so hard for me to say ‘no’ to you, did you know that?” Iwaizumi asked honestly. “Let me walk you home and the next time we’re both free, I promise…” he trailed off embarrassedly.

“Promise, what?” Oikawa grinned, loving the way Iwaizumi’s cheeks were so red. It was a nice contrast against his tan skin and it made Oikawa want to kiss him until the colour spread _everywhere_.

“I promise I’ll fuck you,” he mumbled quickly. Oikawa grinned at the declaration, skipping away from Iwaizumi to remove his apron and change out of his work clothes.

It didn’t take him very long to change out of his work clothes, but by the time Oikawa had returned to the front of the shop, dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a grey shirt and Iwaizumi’s jacket that he was _certain_ , Iwaizumi’s eyes lingered on when he tossed it across his shoulders, his boyfriend had stacked the rest of the chairs, making Oikawa’s eyes widen at the sweet gesture.

“Oh I almost forgot to ask you, but are you free Friday after your tutorial?” Oikawa asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder as they walked towards the door. He flicked the lights off and did a quick sweep of the room once more.

He really needed to step-up his game around the other man, because it just wasn’t _fair_ how damn perfect he was.

“I might be. Why? Did you want to do something?” Iwaizumi asked, holding the door to the store open for Oikawa after he had walked out.

“Well, Akaashi has this show at the campus art museum, and he asked me to invite you. You don’t have to go if you’re busy, or if you’re tired. I know Fridays are long days for you but I’m just passing along the invitation,” Oikawa smiled. He locked the door before dropping his keychain back into his bag and reaching out for Iwaizumi’s hand.

“Are you going?” Iwaizumi asked, lacing his fingers through Oikawa’s instinctively.

“Yeah, Suga and I promised Akaashi we’d go. I’m assuming Kenma is also coming but I don’t know if Kuroo is because sometimes he has these terrible TA meetings on Friday nights. Bokuto’s coming though – he never misses any of Akaashi’s shows unless they’re scheduled on the same day as games but even then, he tries to make it there for him,” Oikawa explained.

“What’s up with them anyway? Are they still dancing around one another?”

Oikawa frowned at the question. “Hmm, I mean, Akaashi’s not dancing around him, but Bokuto’s kind of oblivious, you know? Although Akaashi will never do anything as long as Bokuto acts like he doesn’t want a relationship. Why? Did something happen?”

Iwaizumi shrugged. “Bokuto was talking about how Akaashi was taking him to that new sports themed butler café that opened up in Shinjuku–”

“The one the rest of us refused to go with him to?” Oikawa asked amusedly. This was news to him, and he had just seen Akaashi a few hours ago too.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “But he was bragging about how Akaashi was the best because he said he’d treat Bokuto by paying for him on top of agreeing to go with him and then Kuroo asked him why he would choose a butler café of all places for their first date, which got him super quiet. He made up some excuse and left us pretty quickly after that,” Iwaizumi frowned. “I thought it might actually be a date, I mean, Bokuto’s odd enough to think that’s a great first date idea,” he chuckled lightly.

“Well, as far as I know, Bokuto is still denying his feelings and Akaashi is still letting him,” Oikawa hummed thoughtfully. “Although I’m pretty sure Kuroo was just trying to get a rise out of him,” he shook his head.

“I should have known,” Iwaizumi smiled. “Anyway, I’ll come,” Iwaizumi agreed. “To Akaashi’s art show,” he clarified.

“Really? You don’t have to,” Oikawa added. He felt like he had sort of guilt tripped Iwaizumi into agreeing. “I mean, I’m sure Akaashi will understand if you don’t come. Besides, art isn’t everyone’s thing,” Oikawa rushed out.

“You don’t want me to come?” Iwaizumi quirked a brow at Oikawa’s sudden hesitancy.

“ _No_ ,” Oikawa denied. “Of course I _want_ you to come. I just… don’t want to make you feel like you have to, gah, I shouldn’t have said anything, forget it,” he mumbled, turning his face to the side and increasing his pace.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi called, tightening his grip on Oikawa’s fingers to slow him down.

“Yeah?” Oikawa asked hesitantly.

“I want to come,” he insisted.

“Really?” Oikawa asked nervously.

“Hmm,” Iwaizumi agreed. “Your friends are important to you and you’re important to me so in turn, your friends are also important to me – it’s like the transitive property of equality,” he explained seriously.

Oikawa’s lips twitched at Iwaizumi’s explanation, trying to stop himself from breaking out into a laugh. “Don’t use _mathematics_ to cover up your cheesiness,” Oikawa smiled. “Thanks though,” he added, bumping his shoulder against Iwaizumi’s slightly.

“Whatever, I’m just surprised you knew what I was talking about,” Iwaizumi teased.

“Are you calling me stupid again?” Oikawa narrowed his eyes, although unlike the last time, there was no real doubt in his mind that Iwaizumi was joking.

“Oikawa…” Iwaizumi started off nervously.

“I’m just kidding,” Oikawa chuckled. “You should have seen your face though,” he smiled, placing a quick kiss to Iwaizumi’s cheek to lessen his frown. “I feel like we should start a game. How about every time you unintentionally call me stupid, you have to throw out some of your instant coffee until it’s all gone,” he joked.

“That’s a terrible game,” Iwaizumi concluded. “Besides, I already replaced all the instant coffee in my apartment with ‘better stuff’. I even got a small coffee maker so the next time you’re over you won’t complain,” he shrugged nonchalantly.

Oikawa’s eyes widened at the declaration. “ _What_? When did you do that? You had all that instant coffee just Sunday!” he exclaimed.

Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand sheepishly. “My mum brought it over. She came by to visit me yesterday and I may or may not have mentioned it to her over the phone the last time I spoke to her. I didn’t know she was going to bring it but I couldn’t exactly tell her to take it back once I found out she went through the trouble of buying me what I asked for,” he admitted awkwardly.

“The instant coffee will stay until I finish it, but the next time you’re over and want coffee you’ll have nothing to complain about,” he insisted.

Despite his rough words, the slight hesitancy in his tone was what gave Iwaizumi away. Oikawa grinned brightly at him and was pleased to see that his smile was returned wholeheartedly.

“You act like I’m such a nuisance but then you go out of your way to get me what I want anyway,” Oikawa said nervously, giving Iwaizumi’s hand a quick squeeze. “I didn’t know your mum was coming to visit you yesterday,” he added not so casually.

They had eaten lunch with one another yesterday and yet, Iwaizumi hadn’t mentioned a thing about his mum coming to see him later that day. The joy he felt at knowing Iwaizumi had taken his request for better coffee seriously was overshadowed by the fact that he had conveniently left out one of his parents coming to visit him.

“I didn’t know she was coming either,” he said seriously, shaking Oikawa out of his self-deprecating thoughts. “I’d have told you if I did,” he continued.

Oikawa tilted his head thoughtfully in Iwaizumi’s direction.

“I hate that you can read me so well,” he chuckled nervously. Some of his earlier self-doubt had been replaced though by Iwaizumi’s soothing words.

Iwaizumi smiled at him in response. “Well I don’t. You turn too quiet when you’re thinking negatively,” he stated bluntly. Oikawa felt his cheeks heat up at that. “You can tell me if something’s bothering you,” he added shyly. Before Oikawa could comment, he changed the subject, as if he hadn’t just said something so sweet. “Anyway, she was only here for twenty minutes at best because she had a meeting to go to. Next time she’s in town though, you should meet her… I mean, if you want,” Iwaizumi added.

“Really?” Oikawa smiled.

He hadn’t known Iwaizumi for that long but the fact that he wanted Oikawa to meet his mum was a nice gesture that caused a warm feeling to spread through his entire body.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “Actually, I told her about you so she probably won’t stop bugging me until I let her meet you anyway,” he said embarrassedly.

“I’d love that,” Oikawa confirmed, trying to ignore the way his heart fluttered.

He would have been lying if he said that he wasn’t happy about the fact that Iwaizumi had told his mum about Oikawa. It reminded him again that this was _real_ and that Iwaizumi liked him – enough to tell his mum about him and offer to let Oikawa meet her the next time she had the chance to visit.

It made Oikawa far happier than he could have imagined. He gripped Iwaizumi’s hand impossibly tighter between his and maintained the grip for the rest of their walk home.

And when they arrived at Oikawa’s apartment, he reluctantly bid the other man goodbye. Oikawa hadn’t even know Iwaizumi for more than a month now, but he couldn’t imagine how his year would have gone if he hadn’t met him when he had.

It took a lot longer than a few quick kisses but eventually, Iwaizumi moved away to let Oikawa go home and go to sleep so that he could do the same. Oikawa watched him walk down the stairs, body leaning against the bannister like he usually did while Iwaizumi made it down. And once Iwaizumi was on the ground again, he turned around to wave up at Oikawa once more, bright grin in place just like _he_ always did.

Oikawa waited for Iwaizumi’s figure to retreat past the corner of the block before he opened the door to his own apartment, uncomfortably hard but far cheerier than he thought it was possible for him to feel.

Something about Iwaizumi always put a ridiculously large smile on his face, and Oikawa was getting far too used to feeling the way he did around the other man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next time:  
> \- Iwa-chan in the streets, Hajime in the sheets
> 
> ^^^^ I saw that somewhere on Tumblr a while back and well, I think that's all you really need to know about the next chapter *casually peaces out* 
> 
> I have a wedding to go to tonight, and another one on Sunday, and lbr, I'm probably gonna be lurking ao3 or writing on my phone the entire time bc it's a family friend's wedding and I know no one there (at least not on Friday) ;;; 
> 
> hope you can leave me a comment or kudos to keep me distracted ♡


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is 70% smut. I have zero regrets ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> ok wait tho, to advocate safe sex let me just tell you what my virology professor did to us last term. we were talking about viruses that cause STIs and the class was taught w/ powerpoint visuals. at one point, she put up a "warning! graphic images ahead" slide and then bam, 5 seconds later a series of terrible pictures, which have scarred me so pls... safe sex alright?

The day of Akaashi’s art show was stressful, to say the least. Oikawa hadn’t seen much of Iwaizumi for the rest of the week; the last time they had actually spent more than five minutes with one another had been Tuesday night when Iwaizumi had walked Oikawa home after his shift.

In all honesty, Oikawa hated it. Their relationship was new, and he wished that they could spend more time together, but it was almost impossible with Iwaizumi’s schedule for the week. The only thing Oikawa could do at that point was hope that things would calm down a little in the upcoming days, and look forward to the fact that they at least had this Friday night to spend with one another. 

But not having seen Iwaizumi for the past three days, and not having much communication with him either put Oikawa on edge. Especially because Daichi and Iwaizumi didn’t end class until 7 pm every Friday, and Oikawa didn’t know how long it was going to take them to get to the art museum after that, since it was on a different campus. 

At least Suga knew how Oikawa felt in some ways, because even though he and Daichi lived together, he was also feeling the absent boyfriend syndrome. They could have gone ahead without Daichi and Iwaizumi – in fact they were told _to_ go on ahead – but they decided to wait for the two men, which made Oikawa panic a little because he _hated_ being late.

Thankfully, Iwaizumi was courteous enough to offer them all a ride to the venue, which meant he wasn’t going to be drinking, but he said he didn’t mind. It was more than likely his way of giving Oikawa some peace of mind, which he refused to admit, but Oikawa was grateful for, anyway. 

The exhibit was a small event, with only the close friends and family of the artists whose work was on display, but it was fun and Oikawa was glad he came. He enjoyed being able to see Akaashi’s work on display; his friend was talented, and Oikawa was happy to be able to support him.

He also didn’t mind seeing Iwaizumi so well dressed either. His boyfriend was sporting a charcoal grey coloured suit, a white collared shirt and a black tie that made his green eyes appear brighter under the smoking colour. Against his tan skin, Oikawa didn’t think anything could have been more fitting, and he was sure to let Iwaizumi know just how hot he looked.

Iwaizumi wholly returned the affection Oikawa felt, pulling Oikawa’s face towards his every time they had a bit of privacy, taking Oikawa’s hand in his own and tugging him down secluded corridors and behind black curtains separating the various areas from one another. 

“Iwa-chan, you’re going to ruin my suit,” Oikawa had complained on more than one occasion, but he was always met with a light nip to his bottom lip, which left him quivering, and pressing into Iwaizumi to deepen the kiss, the action at odds with his protest. 

He couldn’t bring himself to care if the jacket of his dark navy suit got wrinkled, or if his purple tie became loose – not when Iwaizumi was paying him so much attention. 

They happened to get _caught_ on more than one occasion as well, which wasn’t exactly ideal when the people who caught them were professors. At least, Oikawa didn’t have to deal with them in classes, but that didn’t stop him from blushing at their intense, disapproving stares. 

“Can you keep it in your pants for ten seconds, Oikawa?” Akaashi sighed when Iwaizumi and Oikawa came to visit him at his stand after having disappeared into a supply closet to make out. 

“Why are you only scolding _me_? What about Iwa-chan?” Oikawa jerked his thumb in Iwaizumi’s direction. He was met by a gentle squeeze to the hand they had clasped together, which only made Oikawa lose his affronted look, and smile endearingly at his boyfriend instead. 

“You’re really convincing there,” Akaashi rolled his eyes. “And I had _three_ professors complain to me about my guests being inappropriate,” he chided, 

“You sure they weren’t talking about Bokuto?” Iwaizumi chuckled, pointing to the left where Bokuto was currently observing a student’s sculpture far too closely. The artist looked mildly afraid that Bokuto would tip the piece over but she also didn’t want to touch it so she kept a nervous gaze on Bokuto while he observed. 

“Actually, I can’t argue with that,” Akaashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers exasperatedly. “But you two, stop touching each other inappropriately,” Akaashi scolded, making Oikawa and Iwaizumi blush aptly. 

“Sorry Akaashi, Iwa-chan looks too hot like this, I can’t keep my hands off of him,” Oikawa sighed dramatically, despite the embarrassment. 

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi shook his head in warning, although he didn’t look very upset with the comment. In fact, if Oikawa didn’t know any better he would have said that Iwaizumi actually looked _pleased_ with the compliment. 

And why shouldn’t he? Oikawa was being honest when he said he couldn’t keep his hands off of his boyfriend. Oikawa had been admiring the well-fitting suit all night; he especially loved the way his trousers hugged his ass and if they weren’t in public, Oikawa might have reached out to squeeze his cheeks between his palms. 

“Hey, stop spacing out,” Iwaizumi prodded, vaulting Oikawa back to reality. “What were you thinking about?” he frowned. 

“Your ass,” Oikawa answered without missing a beat.

“ _Oikawa_ ,” Iwaizumi hissed while Akaashi groaned. It was just too easy to embarrass Iwaizumi in public, and Oikawa’s lack of filter when it came to his friends also didn’t help in that department.

“Both of you are just as bad as the other. You’re so gross,” Akaashi rolled his eyes, but his words held nothing but affection.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if it was Bokuto,” Oikawa reminded. “Want me to make it happen?” He had been hoping that Akaashi would one day give him permission to speak to Bokuto about his obvious crush, but Akaashi was dead-set on letting Bokuto figure it out himself. Oikawa was starting to lose his patience, but he respected his friend’s decision, which was the only reason he didn’t drag Bokuto to Akaashi and demand that he confess right there and then. 

“You know my answer hasn’t changed,” he replied pointedly. Oikawa shot him a sheepish look in apology and Akaashi’s gaze softened. “Are you enjoying the event?” he asked them, changing the topic expertly.

“It’s nice,” Iwaizumi answered, before Oikawa could protest about the obvious avoidance of Akaashi’s crush. 

Nodding towards Akaashi’s work on the right, Iwaizumi continued. “Is that style supposed to be impressionism? I can’t tell if it is or not, because the pale colour palette is right and I can see the patches of paint coming together but you’ve also got something else going on that I can’t exactly put my finger on,” he commented. 

“You know about art?” Akaashi asked amusedly. 

“A little,” Iwaizumi shrugged, clearly embarrassed by the question. “My mum’s a bit of an art fanatic so I picked up on a few things over dinner conversations,” he admitted. 

“Well, you’re not far off. I was trying to incorporate my own style into impressionism, considering the movement is all but dead. I thought if I added a bit more life to it, my professors would be impressed and well, they seem to like it enough to want me to display it here,” he smiled. “Want me to walk you through it?” Akaashi asked.

Iwaizumi nodded, which made Akaashi’s usually reserved smile widen. Oikawa listened as Akaashi explained his thought process and the details of his painting to Iwaizumi while the other man listened attentively. 

It subjectively made Akaashi happy to know someone in his group of friends was genuinely interested in his work, but all Oikawa could think about as he watched his friend and his boyfriend deep in conversation was how damn awe-inspiring Iwaizumi was. 

He constantly blew Oikawa away with his intelligence and his charm. 

“Did you eat?” Akaashi asked once he had finished explaining both of his works to Iwaizumi.

“We caught some of the hors d’oeuvres that have been floating around,” Iwaizumi confirmed.

“Oh, there should be a table near the back of the hall with more solid food. I know those things are small and the waiters are so picky with how much they let a person take,” Akaashi laughed. 

“Thanks, Akaashi. We’ll see you later then,” Oikawa smiled before looping his arm through Iwaizumi’s and pulling the other man in the direction of the table that Akaashi had described. If he was being honest, he _was_ a little hungry.

“You’re pretty cool, you know that?” Oikawa asked absentmindedly as he weaved through the crowd of people with Iwaizumi at his side. 

“What are you talking about?” Iwaizumi asked, face wrinkled in confusion. 

“The way you were talking to Akaashi about his work was more than just you _picking stuff up_ , over the years,” he chuckled. “But even if it was, that’s impressive that it stuck with you for so long,” Oikawa complimented.

“Thanks,” Iwaizumi accepted humbly. Oikawa laughed at his reaction, sliding his arm down so that he could hold Iwaizumi’s hand between his instead. 

When they reached the dinner table, Oikawa was pleased to see that there was more food than the hors d’oeuvres he did not get a chance to fill his stomach on earlier.

“Here,” Iwaizumi offered a glass of champagne to Oikawa, but he shook his head at the offer, making Iwaizumi frown. “You’re not drinking?” he asked. 

“Nah,” Oikawa denied. “I’ll stick to a sober night, thank you very much,” he smiled. 

Iwaizumi shrugged, before handing a plate to Oikawa for him to fill up. “I mean, I don’t care, but why tonight?”

Oikawa tilted his head in Iwaizumi’s direction thoughtfully before his lips quirked up in a half-smile. “Iwa-chan doesn’t like to touch me too much when he’s sober and I’m not,” Oikawa responded, fighting the full-fledged smile that threatened to break out at the embarrassed reaction from Iwaizumi he got in response. 

Iwaizumi opened his mouth but Oikawa shook his head, cutting him off before he had the chance to protest. “I don’t mind. It’s sweet, actually, how caring you are,” Oikawa smiled, before leaning in so that only Iwaizumi could hear the next few words. “But I don’t want you to be _caring_ tonight; I want you to fuck me. You promised you would the next time we were free and I don’t have any plans for the rest of the night so if you do, you had better cancel them.”

“Holy shit,” Iwaizumi gaped, almost dropping the plate in his hand. “Fuck dinner, I’m taking you home right now,” he said seriously, putting the plate aside.

Oikawa giggled at the reaction, shaking his head. “Nu-uh, I’m hungry,” he insisted, picking the plate Iwaizumi had put down back up and handing it over to the other man. Iwaizumi didn’t look very pleased with Oikawa’s antics, but he accepted the dish begrudgingly, filling it very lightly and quickly.

Oikawa on the other hand, took far too long deciding between the different finger foods that eventually, Iwaizumi got so annoyed with him that he filled the plate up _for_ Oikawa. 

“Stop frowning, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa poked his finger right in the spot where Iwaizumi’s cheeks caved in to form dimples when he smiled. He wasn’t smiling right now though; he honestly looked like he was torn between wanting to punch Oikawa and kiss him, which just made the teasing all the more fun. 

“Then stop making me frown. Just hurry up and eat your food so we can go,” he urged. 

“Why? Did I make you all hot and bothered?” Oikawa grinned.

“What do you think?” Iwaizumi deadpanned. He picked up a piece of karaage off of Oikawa’s plate and popped it into his own mouth in an attempt to make Oikawa finish faster. The only thing that served to do was make Oikawa slow down the rest of his meal, pulling his plate to the side so Iwaizumi couldn’t grab anything else off of it. 

Iwaizumi groaned in frustration, but didn’t push Oikawa further. If Oikawa was being honest, he wasn’t sure where the resolve not to dump everything on the ground and pull off Iwaizumi’s clothes right there was coming from. Somehow though, he had a feeling that riling Iwaizumi up was going to make his night way more interesting. 

When Oikawa finally finished his food and they bid goodbye to their friends, Oikawa wasn’t disappointed to feel Iwaizumi’s hands dipping low on his back even before they got back to the car.

“Wait, are we supposed to drive Daichi and Suga back with us?” 

“Already asked,” Iwaizumi responded gruffly, pulling Oikawa towards the car at an alarmingly fast pace. 

“Slow down, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa tinkered. 

“This is your fault,” Iwaizumi responded dully, squeezing Oikawa’s hand between his once before opening the car door for Oikawa to get in. 

When he got in on the other side, Oikawa waited for Iwaizumi to start the car before he not so subtly trailed his fingers over Iwaizumi’s thighs, inching his hand higher until he could palm Iwaizumi over his pants. He let out a content hum at knowing Iwaizumi was already semi-hard from just the mention of the rest of their night. 

Iwaizumi didn’t push him away, so Oikawa continued to slowly rub his hand over Iwaizumi’s tightening erection. He moved his hand over the length of his cock before feeling his balls underneath. They weren’t very easy to grip with the material of Iwaizumi’s pants closing them off, but Oikawa still managed to pull a hiss out of Iwaizumi as he cupped them lightly between his nimble fingers. 

“You better not crash,” Oikawa warned before ducking his head down to mouth over Iwaizumi’s strained front.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Iwaizumi cursed, gripping the steering wheel tightly between his hands. He figured that at that moment, having Oikawa’s attention focused on his front was far more distracting than alcohol ever would have been. 

He should have pulled Oikawa away – should have made Oikawa wait until they got back to his apartment, but he didn’t seem to have the self control to pull his boyfriend’s mouth off of his clothed erection. Especially not when Oikawa started to moan against him, licking his tongue over the material, wetting his pants so much that Iwaizumi was certain he’d have to pay the drycleaner extra to get off the obscenity.

Oikawa didn’t seem to care that he was making a mess of Iwaizumi’s pants and really, Iwaizumi didn’t care much either.

When they stopped at a red light, Iwaizumi pulled one hand away from the steering wheel to card through Oikawa’s hair absentmindedly, moving some of his stray hair away from his face before pushing his head deeper against his front, which was a terrible idea but one that his brain didn’t seem to be able to stop his hand from doing anyway.

Oikawa’s muffled moan caught against Iwaizumi’s dick and he felt the vibration run through his entire body. It was like Oikawa’s voice was an echo and his limbs were a cave, because the moan reverberated off of him, running through his veins, making every part of him it touched feel like it was on _fire_. 

But it wasn’t enough. 

Iwaizumi was apparently a masochist because as painful as it was to watch Oikawa mouth over his clothed cock without being able to _do_ anything about it, the feeling of restraint was also more than just a little thrilling. 

“Iwa-chan’s so impatient,” Oikawa commented offhandedly, pulling his face away from Iwaizumi’s front – just enough to flip his head sideways and stare into Iwaizumi’s blown pupils. From this angle, Oikawa’s eyes were shining, and Iwaizumi wanted nothing more than to watch that same expression come undone under him. 

The action didn’t put Oikawa off – if anything, it just encouraged him to continue mouthing against Iwaizumi’s front.

If he thought that the drive to his apartment was bad, Iwaizumi was sorely mistaken. The moment he parked, Oikawa couldn’t keep his hands off of him. Not that Oikawa had been trying to keep his hands _off_ of Iwaizumi before.

But with the privacy of the parking lot and the full attention of Iwaizumi on Oikawa instead of the road, Oikawa figured he could turn the seduction up a notch.

He crawled into Iwaizumi’s lap before the other man even had the chance to exit the car and pulled his face towards him, hand wrapped around his black tie for leverage. The kiss was anything but chaste; it was messy, all tongue and teeth and left Oikawa panting against Iwaizumi’s mouth in mere seconds. He sloppily met Iwaizumi’s tongue with his own, sucking on it to swallow the moan that Iwaizumi made when he did so. 

Iwaizumi wanted nothing more than to get out of the car and take Oikawa back up to his apartment, but Oikawa was making it very difficult for Iwaizumi to think straight when he rubbed himself against Iwaizumi’s front so roughly – like he was trying to get off right there in the car. 

Iwaizumi wanted to chastise Oikawa for being _impatient_ – use his own words against him – but all he could do was rhythmically meet Oikawa’s hips with his own, grunting his approval every time their strained cocks hit each other just right through the material of their slacks.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi sighed eventually, pulling away from Oikawa with one last slow lick to the roof of his mouth. “Let’s go back to my apartment and I’ll make you feel so good you won’t even miss these few minutes it’ll take to get there,” he promised. 

Oikawa hummed, pressing a harsh kiss to Iwaizumi’s lips before reaching out to open the door. He grinned wickedly and stepped out, making sure to crawl over Iwaizumi’s lap and give the man a perfect view of his ass as he did so. 

He knew his plan had worked when Iwaizumi stepped out behind him and instead of taking Oikawa’s hand in his own like he usually did, his hand brushed past the hem of Oikawa’s suit jacket to palm his ass tightly. 

“ _Oh_ ,” Oikawa moaned, unable to stop himself from pushing back against the feeling. Iwaizumi slipped his fingers between Oikawa’s cheeks before running them slowly up and down the length of his ass, making Oikawa groan in pleasure. But almost as quickly as Iwaizumi’s hand had been caressing his behind, it was gone. 

Oikawa turned around to glare at Iwaizumi’s gall, but his boyfriend shrugged indifferently before shutting the car door behind them and leading Oikawa up to his apartment. Despite the fact that Iwaizumi was so turned on that he wouldn’t have minded fucking Oikawa in the elevator, he kept his hands to himself, if only because there were cameras and he didn’t exactly feel like getting kicked out of his apartment for misconduct. 

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whined breathily against him, doing enough touching for the both of them. Oikawa slipped his hand beneath Iwaizumi’s tucked dress shirt, pulling it over his pants so that he could trace the lines of Iwaizumi’s abs with his fingers.

“I _really_ want to blow you right now. Your pants are so tight, I bet you’ll come with just a few strokes – what do you think?” he asked, licking against the length of Iwaizumi’s neck before blowing on it softly. 

The cool air made Iwaizumi shudder just as much as Oikawa’s words did. “I promise I’ll even swallow,” Oikawa continued, pressing a wet kiss right under Iwaizumi’s earlobe, using his teeth to break the skin easily. 

Iwaizumi wasn’t given the chance to reply – not that he _could_ have even come up with a coherent reply to Oikawa’s bold suggestion. The elevator dinged to signal they had reached the seventh floor and Iwaizumi quickly moved away from Oikawa before grabbing his wrist and pulling him in tow. 

It took him a couple of tries to open the door with the way Oikawa was practically hanging off of his shoulders, kissing his neck and cheek wetly, whispering lewd suggestions into his ear as he did so. When he finally did manage to open the door, he hastily, took off his shoes, all while trying to balance Oikawa’s weight that was still hanging off him like a koala. 

“Take your shoes off,” Iwaizumi ordered, but when Oikawa didn’t so much as budge, Iwaizumi kicked them off of Oikawa’s feet for him. Oikawa was comfortably wrapped over Iwaizumi’s shoulder and the other man knew better than to try and shrug Oikawa off. 

Instead of arguing with him, Iwaizumi dragged the weight of his boyfriend down the hall before opening the bedroom door. He detangled himself from under Oikawa’s arms to drop him on the bed. The action took Oikawa by surprise and he let out a startled ‘ _oh_.’ 

Iwaizumi was on him the moment Oikawa’s back landed against the bed, giving Oikawa more reason to let out his choked whimpers.

His hair was swept to the side, framing his face; it emphasized his pink blush, making Oikawa look more beautiful in Iwaizumi’s opinion. Oikawa smiled up at Iwaizumi, reaching his fingers to thread between Iwaizumi’s short hair, and Iwaizumi was weak to do anything but comply. 

“I was being serious before,” Oikawa said between kisses, moving his neck to the side to give Iwaizumi better access to it. He seemed keen on littering Oikawa’s neck with marks and while Oikawa would have minded on any other occasion, he didn’t want Iwaizumi to stop. The way his smooth lips felt against his skin had Oikawa closing his eyes and leaning into the touch.

His fingers played with the jacket of Iwaizumi’s suit as he tried to get it off Iwaizumi’s arms. “What?” Iwaizumi asked distractedly, too focused on kissing Oikawa while simultaneously trying to get his shirt off. 

He threw it open, loosened the tie, and moved it to the side, not even bothering to get it off all the way before he moved his mouth away from Oikawa’s neck and started a trail of kisses from his clavicle down his sternum, all the way below his navel where his fingers fumbled with the button of Oikawa’s pants. 

“Let me blow you,” Oikawa insisted, voice strained from trying to hold back a moan at feeling Iwaizumi’s mouth and fingers all over his body. 

Iwaizumi shook his head in denial. “I meant what I said earlier too. I want to make you feel good, Oikawa,” he promised, nudging the pants off of Oikawa’s hips.

Oikawa opened his mouth to protest once the offending article was out of the way, but Iwaizumi cut off his objection with a light nip to his hips followed by a kiss to soothe the sting. He tugged the rest of Oikawa’s clothes off his body, leaving him only in a pair of tight black boxer briefs.

“Flip over,” Iwaizumi instructed, nudging Oikawa’s hips lightly. Oikawa frowned at the demand, but he did it all the same. He heard Iwaizumi rustle in his bedside cabinet for a few moments before he pulled out a bottle of lube and a condom. Oikawa expected him to open the bottle but instead, he discarded it to the side along with the foil packet and turned his attention back to Oikawa’s neck. 

He pressed kisses down the length of Oikawa’s spine, using his fingers to trace the parts of his back that Iwaizumi wasn’t able to touch with his lips. He felt Oikawa squirm beneath him impatiently, but Iwaizumi had different plans. 

It took far too long, in Oikawa’s opinion, for Iwaizumi to make it down his back. He felt Iwaizumi kiss every beauty mark, ghost his lips across every bone, press his fingers across every expanse of skin as he made his way down. When Iwaizumi’s lips met the dip of Oikawa’s spine, he expected the other man to move back up, but instead, he pressed a soft kiss to Oikawa’s ass before baring his teeth and biting down lightly over the material of Oikawa’s boxer briefs. 

“ _Hnngh, Iwa-chan,_ ” Oikawa scolded, face bright, as much from embarrassment as from surprise. 

“Didn't like that?” he questioned cheekily, voice muffled against Oikawa’s ass, mouthing against it hotly over the fabric. 

“It's not that,” Oikawa insisted shakily. “I just – _shit_ ,” Oikawa cursed when he felt Iwaizumi slide the remaining article of clothing off his hips. Whatever he was going to say died on his lips as Iwaizumi's licked a line from the top of his ass where his cheeks parted all the way to his rim.  

“Fuck, _fuck_ ,” Oikawa breathed deeply when Iwaizumi licked back up. The feeling was unlike anything Oikawa had ever experienced and he hadn't been expecting it all, which made his nerves all the more sensitive to Iwaizumi's talented tongue.

Iwaizumi dug his fingers into Oikawa's hips, holding them in place so that he couldn't suddenly move backwards. He used his thumbs to spread his cheeks apart, giving him better access to Oikawa’s entrance. He started off slowly licking around his hole, moving his tongue leisurely, much to Oikawa’s dismay. 

He wanted Iwaizumi to hurry up, but Iwaizumi had plans to tease Oikawa as much as he could. He continued to lave around the tight ring of muscle, occasionally dipping his tongue shallowly in his hole but never deep enough to make Oikawa really cry out. 

“Iwa-chan, don’t tease,” Oikawa panted, throwing a dirty look over his shoulder, which didn’t look as intimidating as he may have wanted when he was sweating and naked – and entirely flushed. 

Iwaizumi gave him a deadpan look in response, before moving his mouth back down to his ass. When Iwaizumi finally sucked against the rim, Oikawa was grateful that he had Iwaizumi's fingers on his hips because he couldn't help himself from grinding back against his boyfriend’s face.  

He was an embarrassing mess of moans and pants as Iwaizumi continued to suck. When he slid his tongue into the open space, wet from saliva, Oikawa practically keened at the touch.  

“Iwa-chan, _please, please_ ,” he begged incoherently, trying and failing to move against the bed like he wanted to with Iwaizumi’s hands holding him in place. 

“Please what?” Iwaizumi grinned, pulling away from his ass and moving up to take the discarded lube in his hands. He opened the bottle and squirted it generously on his fingers, testing out the friction between them before pouring more liquid from the bottle, straight onto Oikawa's twitching hole.  

Oikawa squirmed against the coldness of the lube on his skin. He glared over his shoulder once again at Iwaizumi, but his boyfriend just shrugged his shoulders before chuckling lightly as he continued to move his fingers against one another instead of actually touching Oikawa. 

“You're going to have to tell me what you want me to do,” he prompted, when Oikawa narrowed his eyes but didn’t speak up. 

“Not fair,” Oikawa complained, closing his eyes. “Iwa-chan doesn't play fair. You said you'd make me feel good but all you're doing is making me beg,” Oikawa pouted.

Iwaizumi _had_ made him feel good but Oikawa had never been the best at having his patience tested. He liked being in control and at the moment, he was anything _but_. He was trying to rile Iwaizumi up so that maybe his boyfriend would speed up his pace. 

Iwaizumi didn't seem to like the idea that Oikawa wasn’t feeling good because he frowned deeply before easing two of his fingers into Oikawa's slightly stretched hole, giving him what he asked for.

“Ah, Iwa-chan, _more_ ,” Oikawa begged, rocking his hips back as he tried to find some kind of friction, whether it was against Iwaizumi's fingers or against the bed sheets. He needed _something_ to bring him over the edge.

“Oh, so _now_ you want to beg, huh?” Iwaizumi teased, watching the way Oikawa pushed back against his fingers. 

Iwaizumi wasn't keen on letting Oikawa come like that though. He curled his fingers inside Oikawa, rubbing against his twitching skin before reaching around to clamp his hand around the base of Oikawa’s cock, cutting off whatever orgasm was in its reaches.  

“Why'd you do that?” Oikawa hissed.  

“Because it would be a waste to make you come like that, don't you think? I want to see you,” Iwaizumi said seriously. “I want to look at the way your face twists as you come with me inside you,” he whispered, brushing the loose hair at Oikawa's nape away from his sweaty skin. 

He brought his mouth down and pressed a gentle kiss to the newly bared skin. “You'd like that much better, wouldn't you? You’d look so _good_ like that.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa replied immediately. “Please, let me come on your cock, _please_ ,” he asked, not caring about losing his composure. 

All that cool collection and arrogance he had displayed back at the museum was gone. At the moment, all Oikawa could think about was feeling Iwaizumi's length inside him, and that thought alone was enough to make him keen into the bed sheets. He rutted against them helplessly but Iwaizumi was there to stop the pressure from building up in his cock once again.  

Oikawa felt Iwaizumi scissor his fingers, sliding them against his walls a few times before he added a third, gently nipping at Oikawa’s neck to distract him from the stretch. He cried out again, dropping his head against the bed as he tried to hide his embarrassment from the sounds he was making. 

“More, _please_ _more_ ,” Oikawa pleaded, ignoring the way his face felt like it was going to melt off. His arms felt like jelly beneath him and Iwaizumi hadn’t even given Oikawa what he asked for yet. 

If it wasn’t for Iwaizumi's hand that was wrapped securely around the base of his dick, Oikawa was sure he would have come already by then. The way Iwaizumi was mercilessly gliding his fingers inside Oikawa, stretching every time he thrust up had Oikawa clutching the bed sheets beneath him for some kind of purchase. 

“You good?” Iwaizumi asked eventually. 

“I was good five minutes ago,” Oikawa deadpanned. “Come on Iwa-chan, _fuck me_ ,” he demanded impatiently.  

Iwaizumi held back a chuckle as he withdrew his fingers. He coated what was left of the lube on them around his dick after he had pulled on a condom. “Turn around, baby, I told you I want to see you.” Iwaizumi coaxed, shifting Oikawa onto his back. 

Oikawa wouldn't have complained if Iwaizumi wanted to take him from behind because _fuck_ if he would ever complain about sex with Iwaizumi. Still, he couldn't help but smile at the fact that Iwaizumi wanted to look at him the first time they went all the way. 

“You really are beautiful, you know that?” Iwaizumi asked, voice uncharacteristically soft for the setting. He pushed Oikawa’s bangs out of his face, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips before leaning in slowly. Oikawa could feel the head of Iwaizumi’s erection pressed against his entrance and he let out a breathy chuckle – a mixture of embarrassment and want. 

Oikawa's face shined with a renewed dusting of pink, which Iwaizumi kissed again, deeper this time, before he eased into Oikawa's prepped hole. “ _Shit_ , how are you still so tight?” Iwaizumi asked, clenching the sheets beneath him to physically stop himself from moving into Oikawa immediately.  

He heard Oikawa laugh shakily beneath him. “You can move,” he urged. To prove his point, Oikawa slid down against Iwaizumi, pushing his cock deeper inside.  

Iwaizumi hesitated at the action. Oikawa brought his hand up to weave into Iwaizumi's hair as he pulled the other man down again, in a searing kiss. “Iwa-chan, please move,” he whispered gently.  

That was all the coaxing Iwaizumi needed. He started off slow, making sure Oikawa was okay beneath him because despite his whines and breathy whispers of _‘Iwa-chan’_ , he was still far too tight around Iwaizumi. But once Oikawa started clawing at his back, gripping his biceps tightly to pull Iwaizumi down on top of him, sliding his hips down to meet every thrust, Iwaizumi couldn't hold his composure any longer. 

He picked up his pace, almost crushingly so, until the only sounds in the room were his pelvis slapping against Oikawa's ass and a collection of shallow moans with every thrust. Oikawa was panting against him, and Iwaizumi wasn’t doing much better. 

He sloppily kissed Oikawa as he continued to press into him deeply, squeezing his eyes shut around the pressure before he remembered to open them again so he could take in the sight of Oikawa looking beautiful and enraptured beneath him. 

Even when they broke away from the lack of air, Iwaizumi busied his lips against Oikawa’s jaw, his neck, his chest – _anywhere_ he could touch, all while keeping a steady rhythm between them. 

“Hajime, I'm so close,” Oikawa whispered bringing Iwaizumi's face close enough for him to kiss once again. One hand dug into Iwaizumi’s biceps tightly while the other gripped the back of his head, keeping Iwaizumi’s gaze locked with his own. 

“You feel so good,” Iwaizumi whispered, breath catching at the sight of Oikawa’s glowing face, twisted in pleasure. “Almost there, baby,” he promised, pushing Oikawa’s legs apart wider, hooking them over his shoulder so he could press in deeper until he found what he was looking for. 

The stimulation had Oikawa crying out and Iwaizumi keening with the way Oikawa clenched around him so suddenly in response.  

“ _Shit_.” His rhythm stuttered enough to get Oikawa resituated in the new position. 

Iwaizumi lowered his whole body flush against Oikawa's, leaving just enough space for him to fit his hand snugly around Oikawa's cock. He jerked at it in time with his own thrusts, which were getting increasingly erratic. It didn't take Iwaizumi long to make Oikawa come and seeing Oikawa's blissed out face underneath him had Iwaizumi following not too much later.  

“Iwa – _Hajime_ – _don’t stop_ ,” Oikawa demanded breathily, cheeks flushed from the exertion but his expression was determined. Iwaizumi was weak to do anything but oblige as he fucked Oikawa through his orgasm, riding out his own inside of him. 

“Fuck, you feel amazing,” Iwaizumi shuddered a laugh, pouring the rest of his feelings into a kiss.

The sensation of Oikawa's walls tightening around his cock as he emptied himself stayed with him even after he was done. The damn pressure made Iwaizumi feel like he was running out of oxygen, or maybe that was due to Oikawa's breathtakingly beautiful face staring up at him so sincerely. 

He pulled out slowly once they had both stopped twitching around one another. Oikawa jerked at the feeling of Iwaizumi leaving him, but he didn't have much to complain about. He felt far too euphoric that he didn't even protest when Iwaizumi immediately got up off the bed to clean himself off. He came back moments later with a towel, which he used to silently wipe Oikawa's stomach and cock before discarding it into the laundry hamper.  

When he got into bed, Oikawa immediately latched on to Iwaizumi's side, pressing his face as close as possible to Iwaizumi's chest. Iwaizumi brought one hand to wrap around Oikawa’s hips while the other played with his hair absentmindedly.   

“You were right,” Oikawa sighed happily after a while, breaking the comfortable silence between them.  

“Hmm? About what?” Iwaizumi asked sleepily, getting lost in the mesmerizing rhythm of running his fingers through Oikawa’s soft hair. 

“About making me feel good,” he grinned, pushing himself up on one elbow to see the way Iwaizumi's face visibly reddened.  

“Go to sleep,” Iwaizumi coughed, pushing Oikawa's smug face away from him.  

“Why are you embarrassed _now_? You were so determined in bed, Iwa-chan, you know that? My ass – hell, my _everything_ – is going to be so sore tomorrow and I'm going to tell everyone why,” he said much too happily to be a threat. 

“Don't you dare,” Iwaizumi responded immediately. 

“Why not?” Oikawa asked with indifferent innocence. 

“I don't want to be the couple who everyone hates because they offer too much information about their sex life.”

“Ooh, do we have a sex life now?” Oikawa teased. “I don't mind,” he nodded when he saw Iwaizumi's face grow redder. “I like the way Iwa-chan feels inside me. So large and full – kind of makes me not want to let go,” he sighed teasingly.  

“Oikawa, shut up,” Iwaizumi grumbled, tossing a spare pillow across Oikawa’s face to shut him up. All that did was earn a few squeals of protest, which Iwaizumi was more than happy to turn around and kiss away.   

Oikawa wrinkled his nose in displeasure as the pillow was removed off his face but the putout expression was instantly replaced by a happy one when he felt Iwaizumi's lips against his own.  

“Goodnight, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa mumbled sleepily when they pulled apart, jaw aching from the kiss and the permanently large smile that Iwaizumi always left on him. 

“Night, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi responded, pulling Oikawa into his chest mechanically.  

They wrapped themselves in one another naturally even though they had only slept in the same bed together a spare number of times. Oikawa didn't think much of it at all though – especially not when his ear fell across Iwaizumi's chest and he lost himself to sleep with the sound of Iwaizumi's steadily beating heart that was in sync with his own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dies* how cute is Iwa-chan afterwards? so into it in the moment and then he's all embarrassed later lmao
> 
> next time:  
> \- Iwaizumi and Oikawa get a surprise visitor  
> \- miscommunication at its finest
> 
> and officially speaking in terms of arcs, this is where the first one ends c: the main themes are still fluff (I will never give up on the fluff!!) and slice of life, but uh, there might be some mild angst thrown into the mix as well now *sweats* 
> 
> and I guess there will be 3 arcs, although that doesn't mean there will be exactly 15 chapters in each of them! 
> 
> your comments and kudos always make me smile! ♡


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boy do I have a story for you. so one of my friends has been crushing on this one guy for the past _two_ years and we kind of got tired of the pining so one of my friends decided to take it into his own hands and told the dude that my friend has a crush on that she liked him. I mean, she did give him permission to say it but she got all embarrassed afterwards and fucking _ran away_ , I KID YOU NOT, SHE _RAN AWAY_ from the guy. 
> 
> I was torn b/w laughter and being a good, comforting friend but anyway, I found out from my friend's crush's best friend who is also my friend that her crush thought she rejected him??? so I told her about it and she's freaking out so I walked her through a message to him and now they've gone on too many dates for me to even count (also gym dates wtf how cute is that?) so here's a message for you all: don't lose hope and _try_ bc you never know c: also _connections_ b/w friends is a lesson here lmao. people talk haha.
> 
> so onto the story... 1k+ kudos... WHAT IS THIS? *ugly sobs* 
> 
> this chapter takes place after a month from the last one! and just to cover my bases... pls don't hate me for the end of this chapter, I'm so sorry and I promise to fix everything. I mean... the angst is mild (imo anyway) and you _know_ this is gonna be a fluffy iwaoi endgame so I hope that soothes your hearts a little, but for the sake of ~progression~

The end of May was an incredibly busy time for both Oikawa and Iwaizumi. With the first half of the semester coming to an end, the assignments had increased to an unthinkable rate and their midterm exams were fast approaching. At first, it seemed far away but as soon as the first week of May was over, the realization hit Oikawa like a freight train and his brain shifted gears from carefree to focused. If he wasn't working at _Coffee King_ , he was busy studying, or preparing his mid-semester presentations.

Oikawa’s business proposal class was the best and worst course he had to take in his opinion. Not only was it the hardest, but it was also the one that he had to take _every_ year and the work just got more difficult with the changing course numbers.

While it gave him a lot of knowledge and insight on types of businesses and how best to attract customers or target an audience, it was also the class with the heaviest course load. And a large chunk of his grade for the course came from the business fair presentations that he’d have to participate in at the end of the school year.

While they were still only a quarter of the way into the year, their professor had already started to grind them on their eventual proposals and teams. Oikawa would be lying if he said he didn't feel the pressure but after his bold declaration to Ushijima, which he hadn't forgotten, he was determined to come out on top this year. 

Iwaizumi didn't seem to mind that Oikawa was busy, and if he did, he didn't voice his opinion. Oikawa assumed it was the former considering he had been buried under his own pile of schoolwork himself. If it wasn't for the fact that Oikawa was just as busy as his boyfriend was, he would have been a tad bit bothered by their lack of communication. It was nice though, that their schedules weren't too far off and sometimes, even though they didn’t speak to one another during the time, they still studied together. 

The company was appreciated, even if Oikawa was tempted to reach over and kiss Iwaizumi every time he so much as frowned at the difficult work in front of him. But that was why they studied in the library if they _did_ study together; the public space and the hawk-eyed librarian that circled the study tables religiously kept them both in check, which was exactly what they needed. 

It was a weird schedule, one that wasn't suitable for everyone but somehow they made it work. Between studying and classes, they didn't really have time to miss one another, which was why after his last exam, Oikawa couldn't help but realize just how little conversation he had actually had with Iwaizumi over the past three weeks. 

The last time they had even _hung out_ for the sake of seeing one another was when they had gone on that double date with Suga and Daichi. After that, the workload had increased for both of them and they sort of fell into the rhythm of school and living off of short nods, quick pecks, and hums of acknowledgement in each other’s presence.

It wasn’t _ideal_ at any rate, but they were both students and that was to be expected. Oikawa was just grateful that he got to at least see Iwaizumi during that time, even if they didn’t really speak to one another between the studying. It seemed like Iwaizumi’s good studying habits were rubbing off on Oikawa, because without a willing boyfriend to distract him, Oikawa could do nothing but throw himself into his own work.

Iwaizumi's last exam had been the day before, luckily for him, so he had gone out with Daichi and a couple of their classmates to celebrate. Oikawa knew that he was probably hungover that morning but that fact didn't stop him from taking out his phone and calling Iwaizumi the moment he got out of the exam hall anyway.

It was nearing noon, which probably wasn't enough time to let Iwaizumi rest considering Oikawa had gotten a very incoherent message at 4 am that morning, but he was happy to have finished his last midterm, and wanted to make up for the time that he and Iwaizumi had not gotten to spend with one another thanks to school. 

Iwaizumi didn't pick up until the last ring, voice groggy and tired, but it still made Oikawa’s heart flutter to hear his voice. “Oikawa? What's wrong?” he asked warily. 

Oikawa had to bite back a smile because despite how tired Iwaizumi sounded he still picked up. It also didn’t help that Iwaizumi's deep voice, heavy with sleep, was sexy.

“Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk to you,” he admitted, moving down the somewhat empty path from the exam hall towards his apartment.

There were a couple of students who walked past him but most of the others had gone off in the direction of the plaza, eager for lunch. Oikawa swung his bag over his shoulder lightly, one arm tucked into the pocket of his brown khaki pants, while the other hand held his phone up to his ear steadily. 

“Fuck, it's not even noon. You couldn't have waited, I don't know, another two hours or something?” he grumbled. 

“Nu-uh.” Oikawa shook his head, despite the fact that Iwaizumi wasn't actually there to see his reaction. “We've barely talked for the past three weeks and I missed you,” he admitted, feeling his face heat up at the admission. 

Iwaizumi was silent for a few moments, which made Oikawa nervous. Had he fallen asleep? Was he angry with Oikawa for waking him up? Did he not like that Oikawa wanted to talk to him? Did he think that Oikawa was being _clingy_?

During the few beats of silence, Oikawa's brain had come up with at least a dozen negative scenarios, but the moment Iwaizumi spoke the thoughts dispelled, as if they had never been there in the first place. 

“I missed you too,” Iwaizumi agreed. Even with the barrier of the phone between them Oikawa could almost see the telltale blush on Iwaizumi's cheeks every time he said something affectionate. 

“Me too,” Oikawa said again, this time with more confidence. 

“I know, you already said that,” Iwaizumi laughed. Hearing his chuckle made Oikawa's face light up once again. He squeezed the phone tighter in his grip in an attempt to ground the giddiness that was bubbling through him. 

“Well I had to say it again in case you didn't hear me the first time. You are hungover and all,” Oikawa explained, knowing that his words weren't convincing at all. To his credit, Iwaizumi only chuckled again lightly but didn’t comment further.

“How'd your exam go?” he asked instead.

“It went well, I think. It wasn't too hard and I knew all the material so now it just depends on how well I conveyed my thoughts,” Oikawa smiled into the phone before asking, “How was your night?” 

“Come over and I'll tell you.” 

“Really? You probably want to go back to sleep though…” Oikawa trailed off, realizing that his calling Iwaizumi was completely selfish. 

“You know I can't sleep once I'm up,” he reminded. Oikawa's face fell at the admission. “And that wasn't a jab at you for calling me,” he added, soothing Oikawa's worries. “Come over, Oikawa. I want to see you.” 

Oikawa was torn between relief and annoyance; he still hated how Iwaizumi could read him like an open book despite the fact that he didn’t think he was so vulnerable in front of others. Or maybe he was subconsciously allowing Iwaizumi to see him exactly for who he was. None of that mattered though, at the moment.

“Okay,” Oikawa nodded. “Can I come over right now?” he asked hesitantly.

“That’s what I wanted, yeah. See you soon?” Iwaizumi asked hopefully.

“See you soon, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa promised before hanging up and pocketing his phone. It was a brief conversation, but one that left a soft smile on his face all the same. Iwaizumi was nice, _really_ nice and every time Oikawa spoke to him he was sorely reminded of this fact. He sincerely hoped he made Iwaizumi as happy as the other man made him. 

Despite having told Iwaizumi that he would be there soon, it took Oikawa close to forty-five minutes to get to Iwaizumi's apartment. He had stopped to get lunch on the way, considering he was hungry after having only coffee and half a croissant for breakfast, and Iwaizumi was probably in need of something to chase away the hangover he more than likely had from his eventful night. 

“What took you so long?” Iwaizumi frowned when he opened the door for Oikawa. 

“Aww, you really did miss me,” Oikawa cooed, swooping down to place a kiss on Iwaizumi's steadily reddening cheeks. 

“Of course I did. I already told you that, didn't I?” Iwaizumi responded seriously. 

Oikawa stuttered for a moment at the honesty before he pulled up the grocery bag in his right hand. “I went to get lunch. I thought you might be hungry.” He swung the contents inside the bag lightly to show what he was talking about. 

“Thanks,” Iwaizumi smiled, features relaxing at the explanation. “What'd you get?” he questioned, pulling Oikawa inside and closing the door behind him. 

“Haejangguk, from that Korean place you like so much near the coffee shop. There's also bibimbap but I figured you were more interested in the first item,” he laughed. 

“You really are the best,” Iwaizumi thanked, taking the bag from Oikawa's hand and ushering him to the dining table. Oikawa’s face lit up at the compliment and he happily let Iwaizumi remove the food from the containers and set the table for them.

When Iwaizumi sat down, Oikawa didn't hesitate to wrap his legs between the other man's, relishing in the warmth they brought. Even though June had started, Oikawa still found himself cold at times and Iwaizumi was always just the perfect temperature. 

Conversation with Iwaizumi was always so _easy_ , which should have been weird considering Oikawa didn’t really know much about him, but it just made him happy because things were going well. They talked about their classes, their friends, new restaurants that were popping up because Tokyo’s rent was insane and it wasn’t uncommon to find new places to eat in the same neighbourhood every few months.

Eventually, their conversation moved to the topic that Iwaizumi had invited Oikawa over for in the first place, although Oikawa was pretty certain that wasn’t the _only_ reason why Iwaizumi had wanted him there, which certainly boosted his ego.

“So how was your night? Did you get blackout drunk?” he laughed, watching the way Iwaizumi's face crinkled into something unreadable at the question. 

“Fuck no, I'm not that irresponsible,” he shook his head before adding, “That's for the end of the semester.” He grinned widely, making Oikawa roll his eyes. 

“You can't do that,” Oikawa complained over his mouthful of rice. 

“Why not?” Iwaizumi's eyebrows knit together in confusion. 

“What if you get so drunk you forget that we're dating,” Oikawa huffed. Iwaizumi laughed aloud at that, making Oikawa's petulant expression deepen. He lifted his nose up in the air and turned his head to the side to avoid eye contact. When Iwaizumi didn't stop laughing however, Oikawa turned back to face him with a glare. “That's not funny,” he said quietly. The sudden change in tone caused Iwaizumi's expression to sober up. 

“I'm sorry,” he apologized quickly, face pulled down in concern. “You looked cute, all jealous like that,” he admitted, trying and failing to hide his grin. 

“Ah, you're so _mean_ ,” Oikawa complained. “And I wasn’t _jealous_ ,” he added for good measure, even though it was pretty obvious that he _was_.

“I'd never forget we're dating,” Iwaizumi said seriously, breaking Oikawa away from the joke. “I like you too much for that,” he admitted. Oikawa swallowed nervously. The grip on his spoon loosened thanks to the sweat that had seeped into his palms. “What? I don't get a similar confession in return?” Iwaizumi teased, noticing the yielding expression on Oikawa's face. 

“You can't just say things like that out of nowhere and expect a reply right away,” Oikawa huffed. “I need some time to recover from all the cheesiness,” he huffed but they both knew that he not so secretly loved the attention, if the way his cheeks were tinted pink was anything to go by. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes trying to hide his smile.

“I like you too – a lot,” Oikawa said suddenly, making Iwaizumi grin.

“Come with me next time,” Iwaizumi insisted. “That way you can make sure I don’t forget we’re dating and I get to show off how hot my boyfriend is and make _everyone else_ jealous,” he smiled, much to Oikawa’s embarrassment.

Oikawa’s spoon clattered against the bowl and his eyes widened. “I thought you said you wouldn’t forget we were dating because you like me too much,” he said flippantly, ignoring the way his heart sped up at Iwaizumi’s compliment.

“You’re an idiot,” Iwaizumi said affectionately. He discarded his spoon to the side and lifted the bowl of soup towards his mouth before gulping down the last remains.

“No fair, you called me stupid again,” Oikawa sniffed. “Your taste in coffee was the only bad thing about this place; what am I supposed to ask you to do now every time you call me unintelligent?” Oikawa frowned, pushing the uneaten rice away. The portion was too large for him to eat on his own, and he figured Iwaizumi would eat the rest of it later if he left it there for him.

“Are you trying to flirt with me? Because you really need to up your game,” Iwaizumi laughed, picking up the discarded utensils and walking them over to the sink, leaving a stunned Oikawa in his wake.

Oikawa gawked in protest at the reaction. “What do I need better flirting skills for when you already think I’m hot and like me so much?” Oikawa shot back.

Iwaizumi chuckled, as he washed his hands. His face was turned away from Oikawa but Oikawa could still see the red tips of his ears, which made him feel smug. He got up off the table and followed Iwaizumi into the kitchen. Instead of waiting for the other man to move away from the sink before he used it, Oikawa pressed his chest against Iwaizumi’s back and maneuvered his arms around Iwaizumi’s to bring them under the running tap water.

“See, I don’t even need to say anything to make you blush,” Oikawa said proudly, noticing the way Iwaizumi’s flush had spread from his ears down to his neck. “My flirting skills are stellar,” he boasted, pressing a kiss to the junction between Iwaizumi’s neck and shoulder.

He felt the other man stiffen beneath the touch before he reached up to turn the water off. He didn’t move Oikawa away; instead, he grasped the towel that was hanging close by to dry his hands quietly. Oikawa wasn’t sure what was happening anymore, but he didn’t fight it when Iwaizumi took his hands and dried them on the towel too.

He liked the way Iwaizumi’s large hands felt around his, so he let himself get lost in the touch. He ran his nose against Iwaizumi’s neck affectionately, pressing open-mouthed kisses to the skin distractedly in his wake. Oikawa was so focused on just being _close_ to Iwaizumi that he didn’t even notice when Iwaizumi had finished drying their hands.

One moment, Oikawa was pressed against Iwaizumi’s back, relishing in the warmth that was spreading across his front from more than just the touch and the next moment _he_ was the one being pressed against the cupboards on the opposite side of the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Oikawa asked meekly, face reddening from the intensity of Iwaizumi’s gaze on him. He was tempted to look away – the raw affection emanating off of Iwaizumi was almost too much for Oikawa to handle – but he was mesmerized by the shine of his slowly darkening green eyes.

“Since you think I need to make it up to you every time I call you stupid – even if it’s unintentional – I’m doing just that,” he grinned. He held both of Oikawa’s wrists in his own, which he didn’t fail to raise above Oikawa’s head so he could press their bodies closer together.

“ _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa whimpered, voice trailing off when he felt Iwaizumi grind down against his front. “I’d say _you’re_ the one flirting with me now.” His words were supposed to come off as smart, but with the way Iwaizumi had pressed his lips into Oikawa’s neck and was licking and sucking lightly along it made the words come out hitched instead. Oikawa felt Iwaizumi chuckle against his skin but instead of feeling embarrassed, it kind of turned him on.

“And if I am?” Iwaizumi retorted, ghosting his lips over Oikawa’s. He didn’t press down, but he might as well have with the way Oikawa shivered at the feeling of his warm breath against his lips.

“Then I’m going to have to request we move out of the kitchen,” Oikawa said gently.

“Hmm, don’t want to,” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Kind of want to lift you up and fuck you right here,” he whispered into Oikawa’s ear, making him shiver.

Whether it was from the touch, the words, or _both_ was beyond him. All Oikawa knew was that he suddenly didn’t care that they were in the kitchen. If he got to feel Iwaizumi’s broad arms holding him up while he fucked into him then who was he to forgo the opportunity?

“You better not drop me,” Oikawa teased.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at the suggestion, mild offense seeping into his features. But the look didn’t last for long as Oikawa busied himself with rubbing his front along Iwaizumi’s growing erection. His hands were still occupied, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use the rest of his body to rile his boyfriend up.

Iwaizumi closed his eyes and moved against the pressure, meeting Oikawa’s thrusts with his own. He moved away to press a kiss to Oikawa’s lips, before removing his hold on Oikawa’s wrists so that he could pull the other man’s shirt off of him. He removed his own while he was at it before capturing Oikawa’s wrists in his hands again.

It was warmer now considering June had settled in, and Oikawa had gone from wearing multiple layers to only a single one, which Iwaizumi was immensely grateful for. For one, it made undressing him easier. But besides that, he got to admire the way the fitted shirt looked on Oikawa’s lithe and muscled torso.

But that was nothing compared to the way he looked _without_ his shirt on. Oikawa may have liked to fret over Iwaizumi’s muscles, but Iwaizumi was just as turned on by Oikawa’s body.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you only invited me over for this,” Oikawa said arrogantly, but his haughty expression didn’t last for long when Iwaizumi’s mouth attached itself to Oikawa’s torso to trail kisses down his front.

His face twisted in pleasure, which only increased when Iwaizumi’s mouth gently sucked at a nipple before pulling the nub between his teeth.

“ _Shit_ ,” Oikawa breathed, bucking his hips up against Iwaizumi’s to relieve some of the pressure building up in his groin. “Iwa-chan, let me touch you,” Oikawa pleaded, but Iwaizumi ignored his demand.

He maintained his strong grip on Oikawa’s wrists before shaking his head. “Nope,” Iwaizumi said quietly, placing a kiss right above Oikawa’s heart. “I’m going to treat you today,” he mumbled, pulling away from Oikawa’s chest to gaze into his eyes once more. “Besides, you look far too good squirming underneath me. I think I’m getting used to the sight of you flushed and whining.”

“Iwa-chan’s always treating me though,” Oikawa complained turning his head to the side to get away from _some_ of the embarrassment that had bloomed across his face. For having so confidently initiated this, he was turning into a mess under Iwaizumi’s attention, which didn’t go unnoticed by his boyfriend.

Iwaizumi ignored Oikawa’s comment. “I think I’ll suck you off first,” he hummed to himself, making Oikawa’s face go impossibly redder. “Then fuck you against the wall,” he continued, licking along the trail of Oikawa’s clavicle. “Or maybe I’ll bend you over the counter,” he whispered moving to kiss the corner of Oikawa’s lips.

Oikawa was very aware of the lack of attention to his mouth, but he didn’t have it in him to protest. Not when Iwaizumi was paying such good attention to every other part of his body. “You’d look good either way,” he praised. “You always look good, even when you’re sweating and begging to come,” he reminded gently.

The contrast between Iwaizumi’s words and the soft tone of voice he was using was messing with Oikawa’s senses. He could feel himself get harder in his pants and honestly, he didn’t care what Iwaizumi wanted to do anymore. He just wanted to get his damn pants _off_ before he came in them like a pubescent boy.

“I don’t care what you do,” Oikawa moaned brushing his lips against Iwaizumi’s cheek. “Just _hurry up_ ,” he demanded impatiently. The irritation in his voice made Iwaizumi chuckle, but before Oikawa could complain, Iwaizumi pressed his lips against Oikawa’s, silencing whatever protest he had.

“Missed you,” Iwaizumi said quietly, pulling back to brush his lips across Oikawa’s softly before capturing them again in a heated kiss.

Oikawa tasted kind of like the rice he had, but Iwaizumi didn’t mind. Not when he was too busy getting lost in the heady taste of _Oikawa_ that surrounded every pore in his body. He was intoxicating in the best way and Iwaizumi was hyperaware of how good it felt when they were pressed up so closely against one another.

When they pulled away, Oikawa’s cheeks were flushed and his lips were puffy and red. Iwaizumi stared at the arousing display long enough to commit it to memory before he pulled Oikawa’s hands down to his side and dropped down to his knees. He mouthed at Oikawa’s strained erection through his pants but he didn’t get much of a chance to do anything else before his untimely phone went off.

Iwaizumi had full intentions of ignoring it until he realized whom that ringtone belonged too. He begrudgingly pulled away from Oikawa and released his hands before reaching into his back pocket to fish out his phone.

Oikawa looked confused for a moment, then just dismayed when he noticed Iwaizumi read the name on his phone, instead of paying attention to him. “Are you fucking kidding me? You couldn’t have just ignored the call?” he gaped, motioning between their half-naked bodies.

Iwaizumi lifted the screen to show Oikawa the called ID, which read ‘ _okaasan_ ,’ before saying, “She rarely ever calls me without a warning – usually she’ll text. I’m sorry Oikawa, I’ve got to get this,” he apologized before picking up.

Oikawa couldn’t have been angry with Iwaizumi even if he had wanted to be. His raging boner aside, Oikawa could understand that Iwaizumi’s mum was important to him. He sighed, but he didn’t complain as he watched Iwaizumi speak to his mother. He had actually expected the other man to move into a different room but he seemed perfectly at ease speaking to his mum with Oikawa right next to him.

“Yeah, he’s here,” Iwaizumi mumbled quietly, catching Oikawa’s attention. Were they talking about _him_? He looked up towards Iwaizumi who just rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and gave Oikawa a sheepish look in apology.

“You’re _what_? You can’t do that,” Iwaizumi complained. Curiosity piqued, Oikawa’s attention remained on Iwaizumi whose face was steadily growing vermillion.

“ _No_ , holy shit, okaasan, don’t just say stuff like that,” Iwaizumi whispered into the phone. Oikawa couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation but he had to hold back a chuckle at what Iwaizumi’s mum was implying if it got Iwaizumi that embarrassed.

“That is _not_ what I said – you probably just didn’t hear me right,” he waved off. Oikawa actually laughed aloud at that one and was met by a threatening glare from Iwaizumi, which just made him laugh harder.

“Yeah, that’s him. He’s laughing at me no thanks to you,” Iwaizumi grumbled. Oikawa looked far too pleased with himself, so Iwaizumi leaned in and flicked his forehead lightly. Oikawa pouted at the action but he didn’t have time to tease Iwaizumi because the other man suddenly sighed.

“Fine,” he huffed, pocketing his phone before he looked towards Oikawa nervously.

“What’s wrong?”

“My mum’s coming over now, as in righ _t now_ ,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand again.

“ _What_?” Oikawa asked dazedly before coming to his senses. “I have to leave.”

“No, _stay_ ,” Iwaizumi insisted. “She’s actually coming right now because she wants to meet you,” he explained slowly.

“No way,” Oikawa shook his head firmly. “I look dishevelled, I can’t meet her like this,” he screeched, grabbing his shirt off the ground and hastily pulling it over his head. “Why did you tell her she could come now? Iwa-chan, do you want her to dislike me or something?” he pouted, heading for the bathroom to check his appearance.

Iwaizumi followed Oikawa, pulling his own shirt over his head along the way. “Well I tried to tell her that she couldn’t come now but then she asked _why_ and I couldn’t very well tell her the real reason, considering I had already confirmed you were here,” he said sheepishly.

Oikawa tutted disapprovingly, taking in how wrecked his face looked. “She’s going to hate me,” he complained.

“No she won’t,” Iwaizumi reassured. “Besides, this is better than her walking in unannounced, which I wouldn’t put past her to do. She insisted she get a key to this place,” he rolled his eyes.

Oikawa paled at the thought. While meeting Iwaizumi’s mum under such circumstances wasn’t how Oikawa imagined their first time seeing other would go, he couldn’t deny that looking tousled and _fully clothed_ was far better than looking tousled and half-way to an orgasm.

Speaking of… he looked down at his pants, which were still kind of tight but the panic that had set in was starting to soften his erection.

“Please tell me it’s just your mum who is coming and not your dad too. Not that I don’t want to meet him but I feel like meeting one parent in my current state is more than enough embarrassment to last me a lifetime,” Oikawa groaned, trying and failing to fix his hair in the mirror.

When Iwaizumi didn’t respond however, Oikawa whipped his head back, unsure what the silence meant.

“What? He’s coming _too_? Great, just fucking fantastic,” Oikawa cried, turning back around and ducking his head down to face the sink. Maybe he could just drown himself in the bath and then he wouldn’t have to meet Iwaizumi’s parents.

“He’s not coming,” Iwaizumi said suddenly, face twisted in an unreadable expression. Before Oikawa could ask what exactly Iwaizumi meant by that, he continued. “You can’t meet him, Oikawa,” he said firmly.

“Why not?” Oikawa frowned. “Is it because he doesn’t approve of you know, _this_?” he motioned between them. Many people, especially in the older generations still didn’t _approve_ of homosexuality. Not that they had any say in who anyone liked, in Oikawa’s opinion, but it wasn’t an uncommon bias, as much as Oikawa hated that it existed.

Iwaizumi shook his head. “That’s not it,” he said nervously. “You can’t meet him because he’s not _here_. He passed away,” Iwaizumi fidgeted with his hands.

He refused to look at Oikawa now, which was probably a good thing because Oikawa’s eyes had widened to the size of saucers. He felt his stomach plummet at the confession and his heart ache for Iwaizumi, because _what_? Out of all the thing that Oikawa had expected Iwaizumi to say, that certainly was _not_ it.

“I am so sorry, Iwa-chan,” he apologized, heart speeding up for an entirely different reason from just five minutes ago. “Are you okay?” Oikawa asked, because he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Of course Iwaizumi wasn’t fucking _okay_ and Oikawa felt like an idiot for asking, but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Is that why your mum called? Do you have to go back home?” he asked gently, forgetting everything Iwaizumi had told him up until that moment. Oikawa’s brain had focused in on only the last words out of his boyfriend’s mouth, and the confession left his throat dry.

Iwaizumi shook his head. He still refused to look up at Oikawa, which just made Oikawa feel all the more nervous. “I don’t think I should meet your mum under these circumstances,” he continued. “It’s not right of me.”

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi called, breaking Oikawa out of his nervous ramble. “That’s not why my mum called,” he explained. Oikawa’s face contorted in confusion. “This isn’t a recent thing, or well, maybe it is but it didn’t _just_ happen. He died in December – it’s been almost six months now.”

Instead of lifting the confusion, Iwaizumi’s explanation only served to deepen the creases in Oikawa’s forehead. “What – why didn’t you – _fuck_ , I feel like such an _asshole_ ,” Oikawa cried, turning his face away from Iwaizumi’s.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said again, reaching for Oikawa’s hands so he could pull them face-to-face. “Why would you say that? You’re not an asshole,” he insisted.

“Well I sure _feel_ like one,” Oikawa mumbled dejectedly. “Six months isn’t a very long time and now I feel like I was incredibly insensitive every time I brought him up in conversation between us,” he frowned. He felt Iwaizumi’s hands tighten around his fingers but Oikawa didn’t return the pressure.

“I knew you were hiding something, because you got all quiet every time _I_ mentioned your dad but I let it go thinking that maybe you had a falling out, and that maybe you’d explain it to me one day but I guess not,” he laughed dryly. “I’m such an idiot.” He lifted his head up towards the ceiling in an attempt to stop the tears forming in his eyes from spilling down his cheeks.

“That’s not your fault,” Iwaizumi started off nervously, noticing the wobbliness in Oikawa’s voice immediately. “You didn’t know, so please don’t blame yourself,” he insisted.

The long silence between them was deafening, but Oikawa eventually broke it.

“I know it’s not,” he admitted sadly, bringing his head down to look at Iwaizumi once more. “I just can’t understand why _you_ didn’t tell me all the times we talked about him. Was I just not important enough to tell because what’s the point if this wasn’t serious anyway, right?” Oikawa asked, feeling his hurt start to take over his rational thoughts.

“That’s not true,” Iwaizumi responded insistently. “You _are_ important and this _is_ serious,” he said firmly.

Oikawa quirked his lips disbelievingly before pulling his fingers out of Iwaizumi’s grasp. This wasn’t the kind of conversation he wanted to have in a bathroom, jaw aching from the hard lump that was growing with every passing second, and voice wavering with uncertainty with every word that came out of Iwaizumi’s mouth.

“Where are you going?” Iwaizumi asked, voice laced with panic. Despite the fact that Oikawa could hear the worry in his voice, he couldn’t bring himself to process it.

“I’m going home,” he answered stiffly.

“ _Why_? Oikawa please, don’t go,” he said softly. It almost sounded like he was begging, but Oikawa was far too offended and frustrated to really care what _Iwaizumi_ wanted at the moment. “What am I supposed to tell my mum when you’re not here?”

“I don’t know,” Oikawa shrugged, kicking on his shoes and picking up his school bag that he had dropped in the genkan when he first came in. “Make something up, or avoid telling her the truth since you seem to be so good at diverting it,” he snapped angrily.

That was unfair and he knew it, but amidst his hurt and his frustration, the rational side of his brain had shut down. He didn’t wait to hear a response from Iwaizumi before he opened the door and stepped out, remembering at the last minute not to slam it lest he garner the attention of the rest of the floor.

As he waited for the elevator, he couldn’t help but notice that Iwaizumi hadn’t come out to get him once he had left, and that thought, along with the doubt that had already settled deep into his heart was enough to make the tears that had previously caught in his long lashes slip down his face.

It was thanks to the tears that his vision blurred and he almost didn’t notice the woman who came out of the elevator as he tried to rush in, in an attempt to get as far away from Iwaizumi as possible at the moment. He didn’t need any more reason to believe that Iwaizumi didn’t care about him, although the fact that he hid one of the most important things about his life, and the fact that he didn’t bother to come get Oikawa and fix the situation was enough of an indicator of how Iwaizumi really felt about him.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized quickly, turning his face down and away from the stranger.

“That’s alright,” the woman replied gently. Oikawa didn’t face her, but if he had, he would have noticed the deep dimples in her cheeks that he had become so fond of over the past two months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy belated birthday, Oikawa *sweats* I gave such a nice Iwa-chan birthday chapter and I feel like I cheated my baby by posting this but djhkjfhgb *dies* anyway, I actually made him a [gifset](http://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/post/163193329221/happy-birthday-oikawa-tooru-%E5%8F%8A%E5%B7%9D-%E5%BE%B9-july-20th) on tumblr if y'all wanna check that out *shameless promo*
> 
> next time:  
> \- we all need Iwa-chan's mum  
> \- Oikawa Tooru protection squad aka the oikuroobo bromance continues
> 
> leave me a comment or kudos, please? I'd love to know your thoughts! ♡


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what did i do this week? oh nothing much, except _start a new fucking iwaoi story_ *sweats* dw dw, i have not abandoned this one, it will still be posted every Friday, fret not! but yanno, if you wanna also check out the other one [slides link in casually](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11621877/chapters/26131707) whoops
> 
> on that note, we are about half way through the fic! *cries* (from happiness or withdrawal idek)
> 
> anyway, let me just apologize for all the (mild) angst in the last chapter by giving you an almost 8k chapter... whew, this took a while but i hope it soothes your hearts! it's the first one posted from Iwaizumi's perspective (the first half is anyway) so enjoy!

Letting Oikawa leave without trying harder – or _at all_ – to stop him was on the list of the top five stupidest things Iwaizumi had ever done in his life. It sat comfortably at number two, above not telling Oikawa the _truth_ about his dad considering the number of times they had actually spoken about him, and how long they had been dating for at that point, but below that time in high school he had been stupid enough to get caught smoking a joint out of sheer _curiosity_.

At least the experience hadn’t resulted in any charges, thanks to his parents’ influence in the school and the community at large, but he _had_ been forced to face their wrath, which he supposed was equal to any charges the police may have laid.

It was a one-time thing, and a life-lesson that Iwaizumi carried with him ever since: he learned that he shouldn’t do things unless he was ready to face the consequences.

So then _why_ had he lied to Oikawa all this time about his dad? It wasn’t like it was a big _secret_ , not back home anyway, but there was a part of Iwaizumi that was worried Oikawa would think that the relationship between them wasn’t serious because of Iwaizumi’s recent loss. Apparently, not telling Oikawa the truth led him to that very same conclusion, so Iwaizumi had fucked up either way.

He knew he should have gone after Oikawa, to tell him the truth and explain just _why_ he had held such vital information from him… but he didn’t. He let his boyfriend walk away without putting up a fight, most likely giving him all the more reason to think that Iwaizumi didn’t care about him, or that he wasn’t serious about their relationship, which was the farthest thing from the truth possible.

Iwaizumi cared so much about Oikawa he thought that he was going crazy at times. He had never expected anything out of his move to Tokyo besides a new start and a fresh environment where people couldn’t stare at him knowingly. But he had unintentionally found something, or rather _someone_ , who made him feel like his whole world was spinning.

It should have scared him, it should have made him want to distance himself because how was he supposed to be _happy_ when he had just run away from his problems instead of facing them head on? But every time he so much as _looked_ at Oikawa he couldn’t help the comforting warmth spread through his entire body.

Iwaizumi liked him, he _really_ liked him, and he couldn’t help the guilt at the realization from settling deep into his bones.

The thought just reminded him again that he should have gone after Oikawa, should have tried to explain himself and show Oikawa just how much the other man meant to him, but the fact remained that he didn’t.

The truth was, Iwaizumi was afraid of what Oikawa would do, what he would _say_ to him, so thanks to his own cowardice, he stayed firmly put in his apartment, pulling at his hair until he felt like it was going to tear out and he would go bald.

He hadn’t bothered to lock the door after Oikawa left in the off chance that his boyfriend would come back, but that was just wishful thinking on his part. Still, it meant that he didn’t have to get up to answer the door when his mother knocked either. He looked up from his spot on the couch, which he had occupied, then decided against actually getting up to answer the door when he heard the telltale knock.

His mother didn’t wait much longer before she wiggled the doorknob and walked inside, looking wholly unamused with Iwaizumi. He figured it was because he hadn’t gotten up to greet her, but the words that came out of her mouth upon seeing her son looking kind of pathetic and mopey on the couch made Iwaizumi’s heart drop to his stomach.

“So I saw a very handsome man in the elevator a few seconds ago and from the lack of handsome men in here, I’m assuming that was Oikawa-kun,” she raised her eyebrows questioningly.

Despite the way she had worded her sentence like a question, Iwaizumi understood that she _knew_ that was Oikawa and from the way she didn’t look one bit impressed, he had a feeling she wasn’t going to be very kind to Iwaizumi about the circumstances. After all, he had confirmed to her not too long ago that Oikawa was at his apartment and she _had_ come over to meet him.

“Did you talk to him?” Iwaizumi asked, ignoring his mother’s jab at his appearance. He knew she didn’t mean it, but she didn’t look pleased with him and when Iwaizumi Kotomi was angry, she didn’t hold anything back.

Unlike Iwaizumi’s own silent nature, she was blunt and straight to the point, which he figured was what he needed right then to shake him out of his stupidity, even if he didn’t _like_ that he was being treated like an imbecile.

“I couldn’t exactly when he was crying, now could I?” she pursed her lips, slipping her sandals off and putting on the pair of guest slippers that Oikawa had left unoccupied at the door upon his departure.

Iwaizumi felt his heart drop all the way to his _intestines_ with that information. He had made Oikawa _cry_? He shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was, considering he had heard the wavering in Oikawa’s voice and had seen the wetness in his eyes, but he couldn’t help but feel like the biggest asshole on the planet at the moment.

“Was he actually?” he asked weakly, hoping his mother was just exaggerating. Although he knew the answer before she even came over and pinched his ear tightly between her fingers, glaring menacingly at her son.

“Huh, aren’t you supposed to know, considering he’s _your_ boyfriend?” she asked, letting go of his flushed ear and sitting down next to him on the couch.

“Ow,” he complained, biting back the curse that was on the tip of his tongue, and rubbing his ear with his palm to ease some of the pain instead.

Although that was nothing compared to the way his heart ached. He would take his mum pinching his ear for days, if it just meant that the pain in his chest would go away.

He immediately felt the guilt increase at the thought. He didn’t _deserve_ to not feel like an asshole – not when he had made Oikawa feel so _bad_. Not when he _knew_ he had fucked up.

“What did you do?” she asked, folding the skirt of her baby blue dress over her knees before turning her body to face Iwaizumi. When Iwaizumi didn’t respond however, she reached for his face affectionately before turning it towards her. “Hajime, come on, tell me what you did,” she prodded.

“Why do you think it was _me_ who did something?” he mumbled dejectedly.

Well he _had_ been the one to cause Oikawa to leave and make him cry, but that didn’t mean he liked having the blame pinned on him so surely, and by his own mum no less.

She raised her eyebrows disbelievingly before dropping her hands from Iwaizumi’s face and folding them over her lap tightly, foregoing the gentle route.

“People don’t just cry for no reason,” she rolled her eyes. “Especially not when they were laughing only a few minutes ago. Don’t forget that I heard him over the phone, so why don’t you tell me what happened between then and now and I’ll tell you just how big of an idiot you really are.”

Iwaizumi wanted to tell her to leave so that he could wallow in his own misery peacefully, but he didn’t, because as much as his mother wasn’t going to hold back on telling him how badly he had fucked up, that was exactly what he needed. The faster he picked himself out of his slump, the faster he could apologize _properly_ to Oikawa and attempt to make it up to him. If Oikawa would even let him do that at this point. Iwaizumi wasn’t sure if he’d let himself back in after an incident like this.

“He asked if you were coming alone or if you and otousan were _both_ coming, which is when I told him that he couldn’t exactly meet otousan because, well, you know why,” he sighed, face flushed at the admission. He slumped his head down between his shoulders, trying not to look at his mother’s face, which he just _knew_ was sporting a disapproving look.

His mum was silent for a few moments before she let out a heavy sigh. “Oh Hajime, you’re really stupid,” she shook her head before turning her attention back to Iwaizumi. “Why didn’t you tell him before? Is this even serious, because that’s completely inappropriate of you to string him along if it isn’t,” she scolded, eyes flashing momentarily.

Iwaizumi groaned, burying his head in his palms. “That’s what Oikawa said,” he admitted. “But you’ve got it all wrong. I should have told him, I know that now, but I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want him to think that I _wasn’t_ serious,” he corrected. “What if he thought that this was just some kind of coping mechanism? That I was just using him for some kind of comfort? It’s not, by the way, before you even ask me that,” he added, cutting the question off of his mother’s lips.

Her face looked stern, but not unkind. Iwaizumi looked towards her helplessly, which was when she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a one-armed hug. “You’re definitely an idiot,” she said again. “Just like your father,” she mused, much to Iwaizumi’s embarrassment. “But you didn’t have any bad intentions so while this situation doesn’t make you a _good_ person, at least I know you’re not a bad one either,” she smiled.

The words weren’t exactly uplifting, but at least the other important person in his life didn’t completely hate him. Fifty percent hate was better than a hundred percent, even though Iwaizumi would have liked the statistics to change.

His mum lifted her free hand to brush the hair that had fallen in his face away and smooth out the tufts that he had pulled haphazardly in his frustration.

“You made a mistake,” she said simply. “But I can see why Oikawa-kun was upset. I would have been too if I were him. Don’t you think he sees this as you not caring about him?” she asked gently.

“That’s not true though,” Iwaizumi denied. “I _do_ care about him,” he insisted.

“I’m not saying you don’t, Hajime, but I’m not the one you need to convince. You like him, right?” she asked.

“Of course. I wouldn’t have told you about him if I didn’t,” he mumbled embarrassedly.

That was apparently the right thing to say because his mother nodded before smiling soothingly. She squeezed the hand that was resting on Iwaizumi’s shoulder lightly to show her silent support, which Iwaizumi was grateful for even if he knew she wasn’t exactly happy with him at the moment.

“Then tell him that,” she insisted, standing up. “He needs to hear it from you sooner rather than later, so tell him right now. I don’t know why you waited this long in the first place, but go change, and go apologize,” she urged.

“Seriously?” Iwaizumi gawked. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to apologize to Oikawa, he really _did_. He just didn’t know what he was supposed to say to mend the situation. But he supposed it couldn’t be worse than keeping silent, which was what had started this whole thing in the first place.

“Yes, _seriously_ ,” she rolled her eyes, using Iwaizumi’s own words against him mockingly. “And a word of advice: bring him flowers. He looked really upset and I’m sure the gesture will help smooth out the conversation.”

“That’s so embarrassing,” Iwaizumi complained.

“You eat what you sow, Hajime,” she sing-songed. “I don’t want to hear another word of complaint from your mouth, do you understand? And I also want to see Oikawa-kun at dinner tomorrow. I made reservations for _three_ and I’m not about to cancel them now because you can’t figure out how to be a proper boyfriend,” she narrowed her eyes.

Iwaizumi gulped at the seriousness of his mother’s voice. It was scary how quickly she could go from being gentle to fierce; she may have been a head shorter than him, but her composure and the delivery of her message was more than enough to command respect and convey fear.

“I’ll try,” he said nervously. He wasn’t sure how confident he was in his ability to apologize to Oikawa and get him to agree to dinner with his mum all in one night. Still, it wasn’t like Iwaizumi could do anything _but_ heed his mother’s advice.

“You had better, or I’m having your car towed back to Otaru,” she threatened.

“ _What_?” Iwaizumi asked, getting to his feet. “You can’t be serious,” he argued childishly.

His mother snorted at his weak rebuttal. “Did you pay for it? I don’t think so.”

“This is so unfair,” he muttered under his breath, tacking on an “I bet otousan wouldn’t have done this,” quite improperly at the end.

The moment the words were out of his mouth, Iwaizumi regretted them. He was on an unfortunate streak today with the stupid comments, which was unlike him. He could have blamed it on his lack of sleep, or Oikawa's anger at him but Oikawa’s anger was a work in progress considering how long Iwaizumi had avoided telling him the truth for, so really he only had himself to blame. Before he could apologize though, his mother was speaking. Whether she was angry with him or not, was still a mystery given her neutral tone.

“Huh,” she mused. “Maybe you should visit his grave when you come home and ask him yourself whether what I said was unfair or not. But then again, that requires you actually going to visit him so I guess we’ll never know.”

That was a low blow but Iwaizumi wouldn’t deny that he deserved it.

“Okaasan,” he tried apologetically.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said waving the matter off. “I either see you at dinner tomorrow with Oikawa-kun, or you lose your car. I trust that you know how to at least _apologize_.”

“Okay,” he agreed, because there was no point in fighting a battle that was already lost. Iwaizumi didn’t have a chance of beating his mother anyway, but in the end, she _was_ right. He really had dug himself into this mess, and if Oikawa wasn’t willing to forgive them, then maybe losing his most prized possession would be a good reminder to not do something so stupid again.

“Oh and Hajime?” she asked, once she was ready to leave.

“Yeah?” he asked unsurely.

“You shouldn’t try to hide things. You’re a terrible liar,” she said seriously.

“I mean, I _know_ , but why are you telling me that now?” he asked nervously.

“You know how you told me that I couldn’t come see you and Oikawa-kun now and I asked if you were busy with your _private_ activities and you said no? _Liar_ ,” she smiled eyes twinkling delightfully at the blush on Iwaizumi’s cheeks.

“ _Okaasan_ ,” he complained.

“You’re not cut out for a life of secrecy. The truth is written all over your face… and neck,” she chuckled, motioning to what Iwaizumi could only assume was the array of hickeys Oikawa had marked him with before leaving.

His blush only increased but he didn’t grace his mother with a proper response, which was fine, because it didn’t seem like she was looking for one anyway. He kissed her goodbye after she was convinced that he was actually going to do what she had asked him to before leaving.

The moment, he closed the door behind her, Iwaizumi turned to his room to find something suitable to wear. What did a person wear to an _apology_ anyway? Was that even a thing? He wasn’t sure, but his mum had told him to change, so he figured what he was wearing wasn’t good enough. He probably should have asked her what she had in mind, but he was old enough to figure out how to _dress himself_ , for fuck’s sake.

Even if apparently he wasn’t old enough to realize that lying was never a good thing. He could almost hear his elementary school teachers’ scolding voices as they tried to instil good morals into their students’ minds. It wasn’t that he _liked_ hiding the truth from Oikawa, but it had been so much easier than dealing with the fuss of emotions. It was the reason he had left Hokkaido in the first place, and the last thing he wanted to do was pull Oikawa into the mess that was his life.

 _Then you shouldn’t have started dating him_ , the voice in his head reminded him. He pushed the thought aside angrily, because that damn voice and his mother had both been right. He hadn’t thought this through and now he was paying the price for it.

In the end, Iwaizumi decided on black jeans and a mint green button down before he headed over to the store to pick up flowers… not that he knew what he was even looking for, but the florist was kind enough to do all the work for him once he admitted that they were supposed to be an apology gift.

By the time Iwaizumi made it to Oikawa’s apartment, it was nearing 4 pm and he realized he hadn’t actually texted Oikawa to make sure he was going to be there. But he really didn’t have anywhere else to try to his luck, besides the coffee shop, and that would be embarrassing as hell.

Not that he didn’t deserve it for being such a dick, but he prayed to any god out there who gave a shit about him that he wouldn’t have to embarrass himself further.

* * *

Once Oikawa had left Iwaizumi’s apartment, he had composed himself long enough to stop his tears from leaking down his face – at least until he made it back to his own apartment, because if there was one thing Oikawa hated more than anything else, it was people staring at him with _pity_.

It was the look they gave him when they realized he wasn’t going to play volleyball in university anymore – it was the look that he had come to hate the most because it reduced him to something worthless. He didn’t need, nor did he want sympathy and compassion from strangers. There was a reason he tried so hard to maintain his appearance in public, and just because he was upset didn’t mean he would lose himself.

The moment he got home though, all bets were off. In the comfort of his apartment, Oikawa didn’t have to pretend to be okay when he really wasn’t.

Unfortunately for him, Kuroo and Bokuto were also home, which made things a little awkward and difficult. He had been looking forward to the idea of letting loose on the couch, with packets of milk bread and maybe a Star Wars movie, except those plans were squashed when he heard loud yelling that could be nothing but Kuroo and Bokuto playing video games against one another.

To their credit, they didn’t ask Oikawa any questions when he greeted them politely, eyes obviously red from the few tears he had let slip on his way out of Iwaizumi’s apartment, before turning immediately to his room to shut himself in.

He was grateful that the door had been finally fixed, because the moment he entered his comfortable space, he locked it so that no one else could come in. The last thing he wanted to do was _talk about it_ , whatever it was, because Oikawa himself wasn’t sure of the situation anymore.

Things had been going so well… and maybe that should have been an indicator to Oikawa. Nothing ever went _well_ without some kind of a bump, and his relationship with Iwaizumi shouldn’t have been any different. It _wasn’t_ any different, not really, anyway. He jutted his bottom lip out at the thought, but quickly schooled his features even though there was no one to judge him.

Instead, he flopped down on his bed and wrapped his arm around his favourite stuffed animal, a greyish-brown plushie of E.T. that Oikawa had begged his parents for after watching the movie when he was six. It was old, but he had taken good care of it, and right now, what Oikawa needed the most was something familiar to keep him grounded.

Despite the fact that Kuroo and Bokuto hadn’t pressed Oikawa for details of _why_ he looked so visibly upset, he noticed that they had quit playing their video games and were sitting silently in the living room. Oikawa hated that they were treading on thin ice with him, but he supposed that he wasn’t giving them much of a choice. He wished they would just come out and say what they wanted to, but instead, they stayed in the living room and Oikawa refused to be the one to dump his problems on them.

He wanted them to leave the apartment, or maybe go into Kuroo’s room if they were going to be quiet, because there was only one tv in the house and if they weren’t going to use it then Oikawa sure as hell would. But Oikawa didn’t demand it; even he knew that was a bit too much, so instead, he fit his headphones over his ears and lay down across his bed to drown out the unbearable silence in the apartment.

He had killed the mood, both with Iwaizumi and now with Kuroo and Bokuto, but he couldn’t really bring himself to care about it. Not when his brain was too busy trying to convince him that he had overreacted and now Iwaizumi was going to see just how insufferable Oikawa was.

But then another part of him was upset that _Iwaizumi_ had been the one to hide things from Oikawa, so maybe it didn’t matter if Iwaizumi didn’t want to see him again because that path was inevitable, right? He was just speeding up the process if their relationship hadn’t been serious, which Oikawa had every reason to believe at the moment despite Iwaizumi’s denial.

They had been dating for six weeks now, and Iwaizumi had every opportunity to tell Oikawa about his dad. Oikawa hadn’t _once_ pressed Iwaizumi for details about why he decided to transfer to Keidai after two years, when his family was still back in Hokkaido. He had figured that Iwaizumi would tell him about it, just like he figured that Iwaizumi would eventually tell Oikawa about his family, which _Iwaizumi_ seemed perfectly at ease mentioning but froze up every time Oikawa said something offhandedly.

He should have figured by the reaction that the two things were related. In all honesty, the idea that Iwaizumi hadn’t told Oikawa every single detail about his life wasn’t what was upsetting him; it was the fact that six months really wasn’t a long time to get over someone – someone who Iwaizumi was obviously very close to and still remembered every day if his social media pictures were anything to go by.

So what was Oikawa supposed to be then? Just some distraction while Iwaizumi figured his shit out?

He had never felt a reason to hide his feelings from the other man before, but Oikawa couldn’t help but feel that maybe he _should_ have in this situation, even if whatever between them wasn’t serious. So what they’d break up eventually, but at least he had been happy, which was the most ridiculous thing he had thought, but Iwaizumi made it look so easy to be genuine.

Oikawa had thought it _was_ serious, which was what hit him the hardest, if he was being honest. Iwaizumi had done everything right, ever since they started dating and Oikawa had sincerely thought that the other man liked him – he told Oikawa that often enough in any case – but of course it had been too good to be true.

Everything was always too good to be true, after all, and Oikawa had definitely ruined whatever chance they might have had by snapping at Iwaizumi before leaving. He couldn’t help but think again that maybe he should have just kept his opinions to himself, even if a relationships based on secrecy and lies wasn’t what he wanted.

At least, he wouldn’t have been doing anything wrong had he concealed his thoughts considering Iwaizumi wasn’t so truthful with him either. The thoughts were dangerous and Oikawa knew better than to let his mind succumb to that black hole of despair, but in his current state, he couldn’t do more than accept it.

The worst part about this whole thing was that Oikawa _knew_ Iwaizumi was hiding something. The way he always got silent after Oikawa offhandedly mentioned his dad, or the way he changed the subject whenever Oikawa said something about his _own_. Iwaizumi only gave Oikawa superficial information about both of his parents, which Oikawa supposed was his way of avoiding the topic entirely.

Oikawa had brushed it off as unimportant, because it wasn’t like their relationship was old, but at the same time it wasn’t _brand new_ either, and he should have cared more – somewhere in the back of his mind he _did_ – but he didn’t want to risk the happiness he had been feeling around Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi was nice, smart, good looking, and most of all, he _liked_ Oikawa the way he was. It wasn’t as if someone like him was going to come around every day, which was the only thing that had stopped Oikawa from pushing Iwaizumi further.

 _Stupid_.

That was the only way he could describe his actions, and the thought made him wish he was a time traveler, because how _easy_ would it have been to just be able to go back and fix this whole thing?

Oikawa pulled his blankets over his head, cocooning himself in the darkness as he tried to distract himself with music – but even that wasn’t enough, so eventually Oikawa pulled his headphones off and just lay in bed silently, staring at the glow-in-the-dark star stickers Kuroo had given to him as a housewarming gift when they moved in together last year. They were faded now, barely even glowing, but Oikawa had just been too lazy to take them off.

He knew Kuroo and Bokuto were still home, although he would never have guessed from how silent it was. They were probably waiting for Oikawa to say something, which he wouldn’t do. He didn’t need to ruin more people’s fun, especially not when they were feeling relieved at having finished with half of the semester. It was a time for celebration, not for listening to Oikawa whine about his relationship. Although even without him saying anything, it seemed like he had managed to dull the mood.

With the silence, it was easy to forget that Oikawa wasn’t alone. He was almost convinced that he was, until he heard a firm knock at the front door and shuffling of feet. He would have ignored whoever it was, had it not been for the fact that he recognized Iwaizumi's deep voice and immediately sat up in his bed.

Oikawa hesitated, wondering whether he should actually go out or just let Kuroo and Bokuto deal with Iwaizumi. What if Iwaizumi had come here to _properly_ break things off with him? The fear that _that_ might have been his whole reason for coming over in the first place kept Oikawa firmly locked in his room. He did however move towards the door so he could hear the conversation that was going on outside better.

“Listen man, I like you, don’t get me wrong, but Oikawa’s like a brother to me and if he came home upset because of something _you_ did, then I can’t let you into our home,” Kuroo said seriously.

Oikawa felt his heart swell up at hearing Kuroo’s defensive tone.

“Trust me, I get that, I really do, and I respect you for being such a good friend to him, but I need to talk to him. Please?”

He sounded kind of nervous, which was unlike him but Oikawa chalked the nervousness up to the fact that despite how physically strong Iwaizumi was, he couldn’t take on both Kuroo _and_ Bokuto. Hell, even Oikawa would be intimidated by their dual presence, if their anger was simultaneously directed towards him.

“ _Why_?” Bokuto asked suspiciously. “You’re not going to break his heart, are you? Because if you do, I can’t guarantee I won’t break yours… literally,” he huffed.

Oikawa had to hold back a small smile at that. Who needed a boyfriend when you had such good friends, anyway?

“Bokuto that was the worst intimidation tactic I’ve ever heard, you moron,” Kuroo chided. “I swear if you stole that line from a movie…”

“I thought it was pretty good, wouldn’t you say so, Iwaizumi?” Bokuto asked, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be angry with the other man.

Oikawa rolled his eyes at Bokuto’s capriciousness, but he was grateful for his friend all the same. He couldn’t fault Bokuto for being kind; he didn’t really have it in him to hold a grudge against anyone. Kuroo on the other hand, wasn’t as forgiving as Bokuto was and Oikawa could almost feel the hostility in his voice.

“Oikawa’s upset because of you, isn’t he?” Kuroo asked bluntly.

There was a slight pause before Oikawa heard Iwaizumi answer. “He is.” Before Kuroo could say anything else however, he continued. “And it’s completely my fault. I’m not here to make things worse – I came here to apologize to him, I _swear_ ,” he insisted.

Oikawa didn’t give Kuroo and Bokuto a chance to respond. Hearing Iwaizumi say that he was here to apologize and _not_ to break up with him had Oikawa’s heart speeding up in anticipation, even though he had been upset about the whole situation only a few moments ago. Maybe he was fickle, but the guilt at knowing he had walked away from Iwaizumi mid-argument had been eating away at him, and even if he _was_ still a little hurt from it all, this was already a good start.

He unlocked the door quickly, not even caring how obvious it was that he had been eavesdropping, before jerking it open fast enough to get the attention of the three men standing at the end of the hall near the front door.

Iwaizumi looked almost frightened, before Oikawa beckoned him over, at which point his face visibly relaxed. “Don’t listen to them, Iwa-chan, come in,” he smiled softly, gaze moving down to the flowers he was holding in his hand. Oikawa’s eyes widened a fraction at the sight, and his heart clenched tightly. He had to physically restrain himself from clutching his chest because it was too much, _too sweet_.

Oikawa didn’t move to greet Iwaizumi though – partly because he wasn’t sure if his legs could handle walking after witnessing the sincere look on Iwaizumi’s face and partly because he wanted the privacy of his room. He stayed at his door while Iwaizumi awkwardly shuffled past Kuroo and Bokuto who were still glaring (or attempting to glare in Bokuto’s case) at him and down the hall towards Oikawa’s room.

Once Iwaizumi was inside his room, Oikawa closed the door and locked it, knowing that if he didn’t, one of the two idiots who were more than likely eavesdropping outside would barge in without permission. It was nice, that they cared so much and Oikawa would have to treat them later for being such good friends, but for now, he wanted to speak to Iwaizumi alone.

“These are for you,” Iwaizumi said awkwardly, extending the white orchids in his hand towards Oikawa.

Oikawa couldn’t help but quirk his lips up slightly at the gesture. “You didn’t have to buy me flowers,” he said hesitantly, although he couldn’t deny that he loved the sight of them all the same.

Still, it didn’t make up for the whole part about Iwaizumi not telling the truth, which the other man was quick to address as well.

“Yes, I did,” Iwaizumi insisted. “I know it’s not a proper apology, but I was hoping it would help. Listen Oikawa, I’m sorry for not telling you about my dad in all the times we talked about him. It was unfair of me to hide something like that from you and I didn’t hide it because you’re not important.”

He paused to take in Oikawa’s reaction, but Oikawa gave nothing away. He only nodded for Iwaizumi to continue.

“You _are_ important to me, and I like you a lot, so I guess in my own twisted way, I thought you wouldn’t see this as serious if I told you about him. It was really stupid of me, but I had this pre-determined idea that you’d think I didn’t care about our relationship because of my recent loss and that maybe I just came to Tokyo for a distraction. That’s not what you are and I’ve never once thought of you that way. I like you Oikawa – a lot, probably more than I can express into words at the moment – and I’ve never once considered our relationship as anything but serious, so I really _am_ sorry.”

Oikawa wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react to the confession, so he didn’t try to think about it. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi’s shoulder and squeezed him tightly, not even caring that some of the tears in his eyes were dripping across Iwaizumi’s back.

It didn’t seem like Iwaizumi cared much about it either, because he breathed deeply through his nose, almost like he was releasing a heavy sigh, which he probably was. He pressed his face against Oikawa’s chest, and wrapped his free arm around Oikawa’s waist, pulling them as close as he could without crushing the flowers still between them.

“It made me feel really stupid,” Oikawa admitted, voice muffled by Iwaizumi’s shirt. “I thought you didn’t like me and that you didn’t tell me because you were just going to break up with me eventually,” he sniffed. “I thought you were just using me.”

He didn’t say it to make Iwaizumi feel guilty, but Oikawa wanted Iwaizumi to know why he had been as upset as he was.

“I’m sorry for making you think that,” Iwaizumi choked out, voice scratchy. He tightened his hold around Oikawa along with the apology.

Oikawa didn’t respond – instead, he clutched the material of Iwaizumi’s shirt between his fingers and breathed in Iwaizumi’s cologne, the smell grounding him and reminding him that Iwaizumi was still _there_ and that he really did _care_.

“I’m really sorry, Oikawa, please don’t cry,” Iwaizumi said again, voice strained when Oikawa started hiccupping against him. He brought his hand up to clutch the back of Oikawa’s shirt, giving Oikawa the support he needed until he calmed down a bit.

“I’m sorry too,” Oikawa said eventually, pulling away gently so that the flowers Iwaizumi bought him didn’t get ruined, even though he was pretty certain that they were at least a little bit rumpled with how tightly Oikawa had been holding on to Iwaizumi.

“Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong,” Iwaizumi frowned.

Oikawa’s face twisted down slightly. “I left even though you told me not to and I basically called you a liar,” he reminded nervously.

“You don’t need to apologize for being upset. If anything, I shouldn’t have given you a reason for it, and I did by hurting you so I deserved that,” Iwaizumi acknowledged, kissing Oikawa’s wet cheek softly, brushing away the tears with his knuckles. “At least, that’s what my mum told me,” he added, smiling tenderly.

Oikawa laughed wetly at the addition. He couldn’t imagine Iwaizumi talking to his mum about their fight, but it was nice that they were close as well. “I’m also sorry about not meeting your mum,” he added sheepishly. “I hope she doesn’t think too poorly of me because of it,” he said shakily.

“Don’t worry about it, she saw you and she thought you were very _handsome_ ,” Iwaizumi chuckled quietly. He placed the bouquet in Oikawa’s hands before lifting his own hands to cup Oikawa’s cheeks. He traced the outline of Oikawa’s faint blush with the pads of his thumbs.

“Really? When did she – oh _no_ , I can’t believe I met her and I didn’t even know it was her. I almost ran into her,” he sulked, realization dawning on him. “I bet she hates me now,” he mumbled gloomily.

“She doesn’t hate you,” Iwaizumi asserted. “She took your side, and told me what an idiot I was, if it makes you feel better,” he laughed, kissing the tip of Oikawa’s nose when it wrinkled in thought.

“She did?” Oikawa asked disbelievingly, cheeks pink, expression not quite _happy_ but thoughtful at least.

“Hmm,” Iwaizumi agreed, taking back the bouquet of orchids from Oikawa and placing them on his desk before grasping both of Oikawa’s hands in his own. “She already likes you better than me and she hasn’t even properly met you yet,” Iwaizumi chuckled, bringing Oikawa’s hands up to his lips to kiss the knuckles.

He looked into Oikawa’s eyes as he did so, smiling pleasantly when he was met with a deepening blush from Oikawa at the action.

Oikawa pulled his hands gently to tug Iwaizumi in the direction of his bed, sitting down and jerking his head for Iwaizumi to do the same. The tension between them had already been high enough for Oikawa to handle for one day, but he was feeling brave at seeing Iwaizumi apologize to him so sincerely.

“Is that why you came to Tokyo? Your dad?” he asked bravely.

Iwaizumi pulled his lips away from Oikawa’s hands to gaze at him properly. He nodded, swallowing thickly around the sudden lump that had formed, despite having just made amends with Oikawa.

Oikawa wasn’t satisfied with that answer though, so he pressed further. They had come too far today for him to brush the topic aside, _again_. Iwaizumi said he liked him and that he was serious about their relationship, so Oikawa wanted to know. He didn’t want to know every single detail but just enough that he didn’t feel like he was in the dark anymore.

“Why Keio though? There are tons of schools with a good engineering program around the country,” he reminded.

“Did you not want me to come?” Iwaizumi asked hesitantly, reading wrongly into the question.

Oikawa shook his head. “That’s not why I’m asking,” he said firmly, hoping to shake off any misconceptions. “I just don’t like the circumstances,” he admitted.

How was he supposed to feel _happy_ that luck brought Iwaizumi to his school and into his life when the context was so dreadful?

“Stop,” Iwaizumi said gently, coaxing Oikawa out of his deprecating thoughts. “The reason for me coming to Tokyo may not have been great but I’ve never regretted it for a moment,” he said sincerely. “I like you, Oikawa, and I’m glad I met you. I wouldn’t change that, okay?”

Oikawa nodded feebly, feeling his eyes tear up a little at the admission. He blamed it on the fact that his emotions were still running awry from their earlier fight, but deep down, he knew that wasn’t the case. Hearing Iwaizumi’s sincerity had stirred something raw in his heart, and he wasn’t sure how to cope with the immense feeling of a fire taking over his entire body.

“I chose Tokyo because it was far enough from my hometown and old school that no one here would know me, and I chose Keio because it was easy to transfer here. My dad was a professor at Hokudai and I was tired of having the faculty and my classmates treat me _differently_ because he was suddenly gone. There’s nothing I could do about it – he died of a natural cause so how was I supposed to fight that anyway?” he asked seriously.

Oikawa was taken aback by his maturity but hearing Iwaizumi say those words just reminded him that there were so many redeeming qualities to his boyfriend that he had yet to discover.

“I’m sorry,” Oikawa apologized, even though they both knew there was nothing he, or anyone else for that matter, could do at that point. It was awkward to talk about, but Oikawa couldn’t imagine such a sudden death.

“Yeah, me too,” Iwaizumi squeezed Oikawa’s hand in his own gently. “One day he was fine, and the next day he didn’t wake up in the morning. He didn’t have any health issues, and as far as the coroners could tell, he didn’t die of any infections or diseases. It’s not common, but it’s definitely not _rare_ either,” Iwaizumi frowned.

“Don’t look at me like that, Oikawa, please,” he added when Oikawa’s eyes fell and his lip quivered. “I don’t want the pity alright? It’s what was driving me insane and made me want to leave Hokkaido in the first place,” he sighed heavily.

Oikawa was taken aback, but he quickly schooled his features. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled again, embarrassed by the display.

“Don’t be,” Iwaizumi reminded him instantly.

It was silent between them again, until Oikawa spoke up. “So you transferred?”

“Yeah, I asked to transfer. I have some high school friends in Osaka at Kandai who wanted me to go there but I honestly just wanted to be somewhere where no one knew me and no one treated me differently because of who my parents are,” he admitted. “Maybe it was fate that we met,” he teased, lightening the mood a little.

“Don’t say that!” Oikawa scolded, moving his arms to wrap around Iwaizumi’s shoulders, pulling him into a tight embrace. It was too much. Iwaizumi was _too much_.

“Why not?” Iwaizumi asked seriously. “Maybe this was some god’s way of evening out my shitty luck,” he chuckled nervously. Oikawa only squeezed tighter in response. “Oikawa, I can’t _breathe_.”

“I’m sorry!” Oikawa squeaked, pulling back, face red from embarrassment. “Thank you for telling me all of that,” he said appreciatively.

It couldn’t have been easy for Iwaizumi to move so far away and start a new life when he had already established one at his previous school. Going from high school to university had been hard enough, in Oikawa’s opinion but he couldn’t imagine changing that again after two years of maintenance.

“You don’t have to thank me. I should have told you that from the start,” Iwaizumi admitted. “It was no way to start a relationship, and I’m sorry for jeopardizing what we have.”

Oikawa shook his head, feeling like it was his fault for sowing doubt about the authenticity of their relationship in the first place. He realized now that this was a sensitive topic and he shouldn’t have been angry with Iwaizumi for not telling him the intimate details of his life right off the bat.

Maybe a warning would have been nice though. But he would never have asked for details – not unless Iwaizumi was willing to share them with Oikawa, anyway.

But hearing Iwaizumi say that he cared about Oikawa and their relationship had eased some of his worries. He still felt awkwardly guilty about the circumstances, like he shouldn’t have been happy for meeting Iwaizumi when the circumstances were far from ideal, and that even though Iwaizumi said he was serious about their relationship, about _Oikawa_ , that maybe there was a subconscious brain function at work.

He had no proof though, and Oikawa didn’t _want_ any proof, if he was being honest. Dishonesty was never a good thing, but Iwaizumi had come clean, and he had shared what he had been keeping from Oikawa, so there was nothing more he could ask for at the moment. Maybe telling himself to trust Iwaizumi wasn’t going to be the easiest of things, but there was nothing else he would have rather tried to do.

“Do you want to stay?” he asked, in an attempt to change the topic, to move away from the sombre atmosphere that had shadowed over them like a raincloud. “I think Bokuto and Kuroo were having a video game tournament and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if we crashed,” Oikawa offered.

“Hmm,” Iwaizumi answered noncommittally, but he didn’t make a move to get off the bed, and neither did Oikawa. For a moment, Oikawa thought that it was because the conversation wasn’t over and that maybe Iwaizumi had changed his mind about one thing or another. But the doubt was quickly replaced by consideration.

“I hope you’re not busy tomorrow evening. My mum said she wanted to have dinner with us,” Iwaizumi said conversationally, bringing Oikawa’s hands that were still in his own, up to his mouth once again. He ghosted his lips across Oikawa’s knuckles to the back of his hands before slowly kissing up his pale arms.

“ _Ah_ ,” Oikawa breathed out as Iwaizumi sucked against his flesh, loving the way his lips felt against Oikawa’s skin. “N– not busy,” he confirmed, remembering the question.

“And what about tonight?” Iwaizumi asked, pressing Oikawa backwards until his back hit the mattress. “Are you busy tonight?” he asked again, bringing his face close to Oikawa’s and peppering his cheek with light kisses.

“N– nope,” Oikawa stuttered, hands gripping the hem of Iwaizumi’s shirt for some kind of leverage.

“Well now you are,” he grinned against Oikawa’s lips, pulling them between his teeth lightly, making Oikawa arch his back and moan right into Iwaizumi’s mouth. “I mean, if that’s okay,” Iwaizumi added.

The change of tone made Oikawa bite back a laugh, eyes sparkling with renewed mirth.

“How about we pick up where we left off earlier?” he suggested, hands dipping to the waistband of Iwaizumi’s black jeans before deftly undoing the button.

Iwaizumi hummed in approval, pressing their lips closer together. “I’d like that,” he confirmed, pulling back and letting his hands play with the bangs covering Oikawa’s face while Oikawa busied himself with shedding Iwaizumi of all his clothes.

Despite the fact that this had been their first fight, and first serious conversation as a couple, Oikawa was glad that they were able to make up.

Oikawa had been afraid his personality would have gotten too overbearing for Iwaizumi but he seemed to like Oikawa more with every new part he discovered. He was so dazed by the revelation that he didn’t even care to be quiet when Iwaizumi kissed him all over his body, sucking against his skin languidly before taking the initiative to fuck him slowly.

It was the slowest they had ever gone, Iwaizumi whispering sweet praises into Oikawa’s ear, telling him how sorry he was and reminding him how much he liked him long after Oikawa insisted that things were okay between them. Iwaizumi kissed him softly, hands never leaving his thighs, his torso, his face. The gentleness of it all was just another reminder that _yes_ , Iwaizumi was here, he wasn’t going anywhere and that he liked Oikawa just the way he was.

He ignored all of Bokuto and Kuroo’s protests to be quiet, focusing all his attention on his wonderful, caring, still absolutely _perfect_ boyfriend instead.

Oikawa felt that he was lucky alright, but Iwaizumi was more than willing to show him that _he_ was lucky for having Oikawa as well, which was far more than Oikawa could have ever asked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi's mum was so much fun to write tbh and there will be lots more of her in the next chapter too!
> 
> next time:  
> \- Oikawa: "Iwa-chan, you liar!" Iwaizumi: *sweats* "what did i do now??"  
> \- meeting the parent™
> 
> hope this chapter made up for the last one! leave me a comment or kudos if you liked, please? ♡


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i realized late, yesterday, that today was Friday and haphazardly edited so i apologize for any mistakes! i had a lot of fun writing this chapter and for everyone who liked Iwaizumi's mum - enjoy!
> 
> also i feel like i don't tell y'all enough but i appreciate all your support so much! thank you to everyone who has left a little kudos or a comment - some of you even comment on every single chapter and just wow, i'm so touched! *_*

With Iwaizumi with him all of last night, it was easy for Oikawa to forget about the fact that he had agreed to dinner with his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s _mother_ the next day. Oikawa had been so happy about the fact that he and Iwaizumi had made up a few hours after having their first fight, and actually talking things out like a couple in a healthy relationship would do instead of brushing them aside to build up later, that he didn’t really register anything Iwaizumi had said.

After making enough noise to bother Bokuto and Kuroo with, which Oikawa still maintained was _not_ his intention – and it really wasn’t – they had spent the rest of the evening playing video games with the two and ordering Chinese takeout. In his happiness, he had forgotten all about their conversation, including the part where Oikawa had agreed to dinner plans, until he woke up the next morning.

At first, Oikawa had just been pleased to see Iwaizumi’s steadily sleeping body next to his. Iwaizumi was always the most unreserved when he was sleeping; soft, gentle, and completely open for admiration. Seeing him like that always put Oikawa in a giggly mood, which he had to hold back on actually making into sound lest he wake up his boyfriend. But just admiring him while he slept also gave him all sorts of urges.

Eventually, Oikawa had been tempted to trace the outlines of Iwaizumi’s biceps with his fingers; so he had, relishing in the way Iwaizumi’s taut skin felt against his own. He paused at the bulging veins around the muscle, pressing down and watching them puff back up as soon as Oikawa removed his fingers. Iwaizumi’s skin was so smooth, and the contrast between his tan skin and Oikawa’s paleness was kind of enthralling.

But the action stirred Iwaizumi awake eventually because Oikawa couldn’t help but tighten his grip around the tempting muscle.

“Morning,” Iwaizumi mumbled sleepily, smiling at Oikawa. He always liked Iwaizumi’s voice, but his sleepy one was probably one of Oikawa’s favourites – it was rough and soft, and effortlessly sexy all at the same time.

“Morning, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa smiled back, leaning in to press his lips to Iwaizumi’s jaw.

“Have you been up long?” he asked, turning his head and tucking one hand under his cheek to get comfortable again, and give him a better view of Oikawa's face.

“I don’t know,” he chuckled. “Kind of lost track of time,” he admitted, blushing slightly.

Iwaizumi raised a questioning eyebrow but dropped it quickly, deciding that whatever was making Oikawa blush wasn’t worth it – not when he was tired and wanted to feel his boyfriend in his arms again. “Hmm, what time is it?” Iwaizumi asked, wrapping his arm around Oikawa’s shoulder and pulling him in closer.

Oikawa craned his neck and pressed down on the home button of his phone sitting on the nightstand before replying, “Close to 9 am.” He chuckled when Iwaizumi wrinkled his nose. “That’s not even early so you can’t complain,” he chided half-heartedly.

“It _is_ early,” Iwaizumi insisted. “Especially considering I was asleep for maybe five hours the night before and you kept me up _last night_ ,” Iwaizumi reminded.

“You weren't exactly complaining about it then,” Oikawa grinned smugly, rubbing the side of his face against Iwaizumi’s chest affectionately, feeling the warmth of the blush that had spread across Iwaizumi seep into his own skin.

He hummed pleasantly when Iwaizumi ran his fingers through Oikawa’s hair. He liked the touch, and he especially liked it when it was Iwaizumi’s fingers gently massaging his scalp. He wasn’t a fan of spending all day in bed, but he’d have been content just lying there with Iwaizumi forever if the other man asked.

“You should have slept in a bit more,” Iwaizumi said after a while, moving his hand down to Oikawa’s nape to play with the curls of baby hair there.

“Why’s that?” Oikawa asked absentmindedly, eyes closed and sleep starting to seep into him once again with Iwaizumi’s rhythmic petting.

“Because we have dinner with my mum tonight and she’s going to talk your ear off. I hope you’re ready for that,” he chuckled lightly.

Oikawa suddenly froze against Iwaizumi’s chest before coming to his senses and scrambling to get up. He pushed himself away from Iwaizumi quickly, leaving his very confused boyfriend in his wake. Oikawa rummaged through his drawers for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before he threw open the door to his room loudly and walked out without a second glance at Iwaizumi who still hadn’t moved from his position on the bed, hands lingering in the empty air where Oikawa’s head had been only a few moments ago.

Iwaizumi was too startled by the sudden action to really have time to respond. Only when Oikawa was gone from the room and he was left alone with a cold chill did he come to the realization that Oikawa wasn’t going to come back without some coaxing.

He sighed before finding a pair of pants in the drawer that Oikawa had been digging through moments before. He didn’t bother with a shirt – it was too hot outside despite Oikawa’s protests that it wasn’t and he had full intentions of dragging Oikawa back to bed – before stepping out of the room to search for Oikawa.

The apartment wasn’t very large but Oikawa had disappeared so fast that Iwaizumi didn’t know where he went. He was still confused as to why Oikawa had run away so suddenly when he heard the bathroom door swing open to reveal Oikawa’s comically panic-stricken face.

“Iwa-chan, don’t just stand there, _get ready_ ,” Oikawa huffed, beckoning Iwaizumi inside the bathroom.

“For _what_?” he demanded, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

“Do you _want_ to be late for dinner?” Oikawa asked; voice clipped in a way that made it sound like the answer was self-explanatory.

Iwaizumi blinked slowly a few times before he had to force himself to bite back a laugh at Oikawa’s frenzied state. “Dinner isn’t until 6 pm,” he reminded gently. “You still have a little less than nine hours left to get ready.”

“No, we’ll be _eating_ at 6 pm. How long will it take us to get to the restaurant?” he snapped.

Iwaizumi didn’t rise to Oikawa’s bait. He wasn’t going to let Oikawa get all worked up about nothing, especially when it was supposed to be a _good_ evening, not one that Oikawa would regret.

“I don’t know… it’s in Chuo-ku, so it’ll take us twenty minutes by train. That’s not far, Oikawa. Can we please go back to bed for at least another hour?” Iwaizumi asked warily.

Oikawa wrinkled his nose at the mention of Chuo, which Iwaizumi had to remind himself not to react to. It was kind of cute how much Oikawa hated the name, whether it was in association to the ward, or the university.

“That’s not _close_ either,” Oikawa protested. “What if there’s an accident? What if the train breaks down? What if we get _lost_?” he panicked.

“This is Tokyo… the train rarely ever breaks down and if it does, it’s up and running in a matter of minutes,” he deadpanned. “Besides, I have a car, and there are taxis we can take. Why are you acting so weird?” he frowned.

“You think I’m weird?” Oikawa pouted, turning away from the entrance to close the door of the bathroom behind him again. Iwaizumi’s earlier sleepiness had been washed away thanks to Oikawa’s jittery behaviour so this time, he was ready when Oikawa suddenly moved to close the door. Iwaizumi extended his arm out to stop it before it hit the frame, holding the door in place.

“I don’t think you’re weird. I asked why you’re _acting_ weird,” he clarified.

Oikawa seemingly didn’t hear what Iwaizumi had said. Instead, he frowned, ignoring Iwaizumi’s presence and reached for the toothbrush in the holder. “If Iwa-chan thinks I’m weird, his mother will definitely think I’m weird. This was probably a bad idea, maybe we should cancel dinner,” he mumbled to himself.

“Oikawa, quit panicking,” Iwaizumi said softly. He pushed the door of the bathroom aside to fully open it before he wrapped his arms around Oikawa’s waist and pulled his back flush against Iwaizumi’s chest. “She won’t think you’re weird because you’re _not_ ,” he reminded gently, pressing his face to Oikawa’s neck, kissing the skin softly.

“Really?” Oikawa asked disbelievingly.

“Really,” Iwaizumi answered without missing a beat.

Oikawa twisted his face nervously but didn’t argue the statement. If Iwaizumi thought he wasn’t weird then he had no reason to believe otherwise. He relaxed against the feeling of Iwaizumi’s heat against his back.

“Maybe a tiny bit _odd_ though,” Iwaizumi couldn’t help but tease.

Oikawa froze again, ready to start panicking once more before he realized that Iwaizumi was joking. “That’s not funny!” he shouted, wriggling his back until he pushed Iwaizumi off of him. Iwaizumi looked like he was having the time of his life though, laughing it up while Oikawa was torn between throwing a fit and demanding an apology.

“I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi said suddenly, making Oikawa’s decision easier. He still puffed his cheeks out and turned his head dutifully when Iwaizumi tried to kiss him. “Baby, please, I’m really sorry, I know that wasn’t funny,” he repeated the apology, a little more pleadingly.

Oikawa felt his pout melt at the words. “You’re so mean,” he complained weakly, but he didn’t shrug Iwaizumi off again, when his boyfriend wrapped his strong arms around Oikawa from behind, pressing his lips to Oikawa's jaw.

“Can we go back to bed again for a little while?” Iwaizumi asked against his skin when Oikawa had calmed down enough to stretch his head back, fitting it snugly against Iwaizumi’s shoulder while he hummed softly.

“Okay,” Oikawa nodded, seemingly thinking the suggestion over. “Let me just brush my teeth first though,” he said, pulling toothpaste along his toothbrush before bringing it to his mouth. He smiled at Iwaizumi over the foam, who chuckled as he caught sight of Oikawa’s face in the mirror.

“Fine, pass me mine too then,” he agreed, moving away from Oikawa’s back.

Oikawa had insisted that Iwaizumi keep his own toothbrush at his apartment a few weeks back with all the time they were spending together. At the time, it was because when they were both done with work and school, walking back from the library or the coffee shop after studying together, Iwaizumi was usually too tired to walk the extra five minutes to his own apartment.

But now, Iwaizumi was glad that he had agreed to Oikawa’s suggestion back then since it meant he could wake up and kiss Oikawa as much as he wanted.

Oikawa’s panic at remembering he was going to meet Iwaizumi’s mum had washed away a little, if only because of Iwaizumi’s comforting presence around him. He let himself get lost in the feeling of Iwaizumi’s warmth and his intoxicating smell.

So when Iwaizumi dragged him back to bed with the promise that they would start the day in an hour, Oikawa agreed wholeheartedly. And when that hour turned to two, and two hours turned to three, Oikawa couldn’t find it in himself to complain, because he was just as guilty of wanting to be there as Iwaizumi was guilty of keeping him there.

* * *

Oikawa had honestly thought that he had gotten over his initial nervousness. Meeting Iwaizumi’s mum was always going to be a big deal because Oikawa wanted her to like him. But knowing that she was the _only_ parent Oikawa would have the chance to impress made the situation a little bit more strained. He had one shot, and one shot only at making a good impression. Iwaizumi didn’t even have any siblings that Oikawa could turn to help for if his initial impression went amiss.

So when Oikawa was getting ready for dinner, and he asked Iwaizumi just _where_ they were going so that he could dress appropriately, he felt a new sort of fear seep in.

“ _Ginza Kojyu_ ,” Iwaizumi replied over the phone.

After spending the morning with Oikawa and most of the afternoon as well – half the time spent together in bed – he had left Oikawa’s apartment at around 3 pm so that he could get ready for the evening.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Oikawa screeched.

“Why? What’s wrong? You don’t like that place?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Don’t be daft, Iwa-chan. I don’t think it’s possible to _dislike_ that place. Do you even know what _Ginza Kojyu_ is? It’s a Michelin star restaurant – _three_ to be exact. It’s famous and incredibly expensive, _oh my god_ ,” Oikawa yelled dramatically.

“You don’t have to worry about paying,” Iwaizumi said after a few beats of silence. “My mum told me she’d cover dinner for us.” Oikawa could almost see him shrug his shoulders nonchalantly, which made him narrow his eyes even though Iwaizumi wasn’t there to see his displeased expression.

“That’s not what I was worrying about,” he snapped. “And no way am I letting your mum pay for me at a place that expensive,” he rolled his eyes. “That would be bad manners. What if she thinks I can’t take care of myself and I’m not worthy of Iwa-chan?” he asked, putting the phone on speaker so he could sift through his closet for something nice to wear.

Iwaizumi laughed on the other end. “Do you think this is some kind of test?”

“It sure sounds like one,” Oikawa huffed.

“It’s not,” he assured. “My mum’s kind of weird about things like that. I’m sure she only picked the restaurant because she wanted to impress _you_ ,” he answered sheepishly.

“Why would she have to do that?” Oikawa asked, settling on a light pink collared shirt and a charcoal grey jacket and slacks.

He was lucky he had so many suits to choose from considering his major and the number of presentations he was required to make throughout the year. He decided to ditch the tie though, thinking it was too stuffy and formal, even if they _were_ going to what was probably one of the most expensive restaurants in all of Tokyo.

“I don’t know, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi sighed. “You’ll have to ask her. But seriously, she won’t let you pay, I’m warning you now.”

“Who has that kind of money? Wow, your mum must really like you,” Oikawa commented offhandedly before pausing, realization dawning on him. “You’re such a liar, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa complained, looking for a pair of cufflinks that would match the outfit he had picked out.

“ _What_? What’d I do now?” he asked defensively.

“I asked you if you were a rich-kid back in April and you said you weren’t,” Oikawa reminded. “I dare you to tell me otherwise now,” he huffed. “Go on,” he urged.

“I’m not,” Iwaizumi responded immediately, before adding, “My mum has money, not me,” he added sheepishly.

“That’s such a rich-kid thing to say, I can’t believe you,” Oikawa tutted in disapproval.

“I didn’t lie to you,” Iwaizumi said nervously.

“Hmm,” Oikawa muttered absentmindedly, picking through the cufflinks until he decided that the Millennium Falcon ones would do. It wasn’t exactly _formal_ but to anyone who didn’t know about Star Wars, they would look perfectly acceptable.

“Are you mad?” Iwaizumi asked when Oikawa’s reply was less than enthusiastic.

“No,” Oikawa shook his head. “You could have warned me though,” he chuckled.

“I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized guiltily.

“Don’t be,” Oikawa waved dismissively. “That’s not important to our relationship,” he added when Iwaizumi coughed awkwardly in the background. “But at least this explains why you have such nice clothes despite the fact that you don’t even know half the brands,” he laughed lightly.

“ _Oikawa_ ,” Iwaizumi grumbled embarrassedly on the other side of the line.

“I’m kidding!” Oikawa laughed, picking the phone up off the bed where he had placed it and back to his ear. “I’m going to get changed now. I’ll meet you at your place since it’s closer to the train station; is that okay?”

“Yeah, see you in a bit,” Iwaizumi confirmed.

“Bye-bye, Iwa-chan.”

Despite Iwaizumi’s reassurance that this _wasn’t_ a test of any sort, Oikawa couldn’t help but feel like it really was. He didn’t doubt that Iwaizumi’s mum was nice but he was afraid that she wouldn’t think much of him, especially considering her high-end taste. It also made picking a gift out for her a lot more difficult.

Initially, Oikawa had figured he could get her a box of sweets, but now, the gift seemed too inappropriate. However, Iwaizumi didn’t seem to think so and he insisted that Oikawa’s idea was just fine.

With a lot of coaxing, Oikawa ended up sticking to his original plan and picked a box of multi-coloured mochi. He _knew_ the gift was inadequate, but it wasn’t like he had time to think of something else, especially when the last thing he wanted to do was arrive late for dinner. He let the salesclerk at the store wrap the gift in a pastel pink ribbon, which he hoped was cute and not ugly. It was like every small thing was making Oikawa self-conscious, which Iwaizumi was quick to notice.

“Relax, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi kept muttering, the entire train ride. He smoothed his palm over Oikawa’s knee, rubbing circles against it softly and reminding him that he didn’t have anything to worry about because he would be by his side the entire time, which helped a little, but _still_ , Oikawa was very aware that he felt like a fish out of water.

When they reached the restaurant, Iwaizumi greeted the host, while Oikawa took in their surroundings. The decorations were very simple but elegant – copper-sand coloured walls, wooden tables and lighting fixtures, white leather chairs – and all the well-dressed diners he saw inside just made Oikawa feel more aware of himself.

At least he didn’t _look_ out of place, even if he _felt_ that way.

He felt Iwaizumi nudge his shoulder lightly to signal that the host was taking them in. Oikawa followed behind awkwardly, until they reached the paper screen leading to a private room and the host left them to enter after asking if there was anything else that he could get for them.

Iwaizumi looked at Oikawa, giving him a shy sort of smile, before he opened the door and stepped in. Oikawa walked in after him, slipping his shoes off and placing them in a corner when he noticed the low table and chairs in the room. Iwaizumi’s mum was already inside, but she stood up to greet them when she noticed their arrival.

“Okaasan,” Iwaizumi greeted, kissing his mother on both cheeks before moving aside to let her meet Oikawa _properly_. “I want you to meet my boyfriend, Oikawa.”

“It’s nice to meet you Iwaizumi-san,” Oikawa smiled, extending a hand. He was slightly startled when Iwaizumi’s mum moved in to hug him as well, but he leaned into the touch quickly, kissing her just like Iwaizumi had done.

The first thing Oikawa noticed about Iwaizumi’s mum was that she was really pretty. She didn’t look very old either, but it wouldn’t have mattered how old she _looked_ because with her small nose, high cheekbones and wrinkle-free smooth skin, she would have been good looking at any age.

The second thing Oikawa noticed was that she was very, _very_ well dressed. He almost wished he had donned a tie now that he was in her presence, but Iwaizumi’s lack of tie on his white collared shirt and dark, navy slacks and jacket put him at ease.

Iwaizumi Kotomi was wearing a simple, black coloured knee-length boat-neck dress, a white pearl bracelet and matching studded earrings. She looked like she had come straight out of a magazine, which Oikawa would have believed in a heartbeat if he had been told that was the case. He was so dazed by her appearance that it took him a second to register when she spoke to him.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Oikawa-kun. Please, call me Kotomi-san or obasan,” she smiled, cheeks caving in to form the same dimples Oikawa saw on Iwaizumi’s face. “Okaasan works too,” she winked.

Oikawa felt his face heat up at that. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Iwaizumi had buried his head in both of his palms, but if that wasn’t enough to give away his embarrassment, the way his ears were burning red certainly did.

“I told you not to say anything embarrassing and what do you do?” Iwaizumi muttered not so quietly under his breath.

“That wasn’t embarrassing,” his mum reprimanded. “That wasn’t embarrassing, right Oikawa-kun?” she asked, turning her attention to Oikawa.

Oikawa was startled at being addressed so suddenly and he was helpless to do anything but shake his head. “Not embarrassing,” he confirmed. He bit back a smile when Iwaizumi’s mum turned her head to grin smugly at her son. “You should call me Tooru then,” he said. “If you’re okay with that,” he added.

Iwaizumi’s mum smiled, happy to change the way she addressed him. “Alright then, Tooru-kun. Shall we sit down? Dinner will be served in about half an hour but I’ve ordered sake for us,” she gestured to the table behind them.

Oikawa nodded and waited for Iwaizumi to walk ahead of him before he followed suit but Iwaizumi placed his hand on Oikawa’s back and nudged him forward first. Oikawa was suddenly embarrassed by the light touch, if only because he was far too aware of Iwaizumi’s mum’s eyes on them, not _disapproving_ , but definitely observant.

“Oikawa brought you something,” Iwaizumi said gently when they had sat down – Iwaizumi sat to his right, with his mum sitting across from them. Oikawa suddenly felt caged with the proximity around him, but it wasn’t unwelcoming.

When Iwaizumi nudged him again, he remembered what his boyfriend had just said. Flushing slightly, he pulled the bag he had at his side and handed it across the table. “It’s not much, but I hope you like sweets,” Oikawa smiled nervously.

“I love sweets,” she confirmed, taking the bag and unwrapping the box inside. “Oh, these are so cute and look absolutely delicious, thank you,” she smiled. Oikawa beamed back happily in response.

“And you were worried she wouldn’t like them,” Iwaizumi teased lightly.

“Iwa-chan, don’t expose me like that,” Oikawa complained, forgetting the setting and falling into the familiar banter between them.

He looked towards Iwaizumi’s mum sheepishly but she didn’t look displeased by the display at all. In fact, she looked sort of amused.

“Iwa-chan, huh?” she quipped. “Who would have thought Hajime would have such a cute nickname,” she chuckled. “Can I call you that too?” she teased.

“ _No_ ,” Iwaizumi declared, frowning.

“Alright, fine, I see that it’s _special_ ,” she tinkered, laughter increasing at the pink blush that dusted both Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s cheeks. “You’re so stiff, here, have a drink and maybe that’ll loosen both of you up,” she smiled, pouring a cup of sake for the three of them. Oikawa accepted the cup, shyly muttering ‘kanpai’ before downing the liquid.

“So I heard that you’re studying business management, is that right?”

Oikawa nodded at the question. “Yes, I’m in my third year now so half-way through the program,” he smiled.

“You must be very smart then. Keio’s business program isn’t the easiest to get into and certainly not the easiest to _stay in_ either.”

Oikawa’s face coloured at the compliment. “I wouldn’t say that,” he shook his head shyly. “Iwa-chan doesn’t seem to think I’m very smart at any rate,” he joked. His eyes widened when he realized _whom_ he was speaking to. This was Iwaizumi’s _mum_ and she definitely didn’t want to hear Oikawa talking negatively about her son – the same son that Oikawa was supposed to be dating.

What he said was intended as a joke – an untimely one – but Oikawa had let it slip anyway. He was about ready to bang his head against the table and then maybe flee before dinner even arrived when he heard laughter echoing from in front of him.

“Did he call you stupid? Wow, Hajime, where are your manners?” she asked, turning to glare playfully at Iwaizumi.

Oikawa’s mouth fell open in shock. He hadn’t been expecting a reaction like _that_ from Iwaizumi’s mum. She was so polished, so well dressed and Oikawa could feel that she was important just being in her presence. He had honestly expected a stuffy woman, who didn’t know how to joke and whom he would have to tread around very carefully but it was a refreshing change of pace to see that she was so playful.

“Only jokingly,” Oikawa assured. “Iwa-chan’s actually very sweet,” he smiled, meaning the compliment. He felt Iwaizumi’s fingers linger on the back of his hand lightly at the praise. Oikawa flashed him a bright smile before turning his attention back to his mum. “He goes out of his way to be sweet too,” he continued. “You know, he changed all the coffee in his apartment because I don’t like instant coffee. Or well, he asked you to, so thank you for that,” Oikawa blushed.

“Huh, I knew there had to be a reason for his sudden change of heart. Hajime doesn’t know much about caffeine so I’m glad someone is refining his tastes,” she laughed.

Oikawa found himself laughing along with Iwaizumi’s mum. She was surprisingly just as easy to talk to as Oikawa found talking to Iwaizumi was. Her laugh was bubbly and she had a soft smile. Oikawa couldn’t help but smile back every time her mouth curved up and her cheeks caved in.

Once Oikawa had gotten over his initial nervousness, it was easy to fall into conversation with the older woman. She was gentle and kind, but also witty and blunt. Oikawa liked that she was honest and didn’t hold anything back. She poured them another cup of sake, which definitely helped loosen him up a little more and made the conversation flow smoother.

Oikawa couldn’t help but admire her resolve and her strength. Even after losing her husband she was still working hard and doing her best to maintain her business. He started to like her even more after finding out that she had studied the same thing as he was currently studying when she had been in school, which he was sure to shoot Iwaizumi a glare at for failing to mention _earlier_.

It was commendable how she worked her way up the corporate ladder and was currently working as the Director of Operations at one of Japan’s largest car manufacturing companies’ bases in Hokkaido. Oikawa learned that Iwaizumi’s parents actually met at work, which was cute and he couldn’t help but feel sad that he wouldn’t have a chance to meet Iwaizumi’s dad, which just made him feel awkwardly guilty so he tried not to think about that as much as possible throughout the dinner.

From the way his mum spoke about him though, it was hard not to wish for something that would never happen. Apparently he was a pretty great guy, which Oikawa completely believed when he was told that Iwaizumi took after him in both looks and personality.

“You have the same smile though,” Oikawa pointed out when Iwaizumi’s mum made a joke about how no one could tell Iwaizumi was her son.

“I think that’s the only thing he got from me,” she laughed.

“Well if there was only one thing _to get_ , I’m glad it was your dimples. They’re nice,” he complimented, blushing slightly at the admission.

“You’re so charming,” she smiled. “Hajime could learn a thing or two from you.”

“Hey, you’re not supposed to talk poorly about me,” Iwaizumi protested.

“Iwa-chan’s plenty charming,” Oikawa confirmed. “And romantic,” he cooed.

“Oikawa, please don’t,” Iwaizumi sighed, rubbing his temple with his free hand.

“Please don’t, _what_?” his mum pressed. “Don’t listen to him, Tooru-kun. Tell me what you were going to say before Hajime so rudely interrupted. I want to hear just how romantic my son is,” she insisted.

Oikawa looked between Iwaizumi and his mum, offering Iwaizumi a sheepish smile in apology before continuing. “He asked me to be his boyfriend while he took me stargazing,” he said hurriedly. He wasn’t sure why, but telling Iwaizumi's mother this wasn’t as embarrassing as it should have been.

“Oh, that _is_ romantic,” she agreed. Oikawa chuckled nervously at that, squeezing around Iwaizumi’s hand in his as his boyfriend let out a distressed noise. His face was burning and Oikawa wanted nothing more than to kiss at the redness in his cheeks.

“I see Tokyo’s done you a lot of good,” she said to Iwaizumi pensively, who ducked his head further in embarrassment at the statement.

Oikawa’s eyed widened at the compliment, his own face burning a similar colour to Iwaizumi’s. His embarrassment only deepened when Iwaizumi agreed with his mother.

“Yeah, I’m glad I came here. It’s given me a lot to be thankful for,” he said firmly, finally lifting his head to meet his mother's eyes, squeezing Oikawa’s hand beneath the table.

He thought his mother wouldn’t be able to see but she chuckled, eyes lingering to their entwined arms, making Iwaizumi and Oikawa both blush at having been caught. It was a simple action, but one that left them both humbled all the same.

The conversation eased on like that, until the food came. Even through dinner, Oikawa found himself nodding along to stories and reciprocating when prompted. He told Iwaizumi’s mum about his family – his parents, his older siblings, his nephew – and she told Oikawa everything Iwaizumi hadn’t told him about _their_ family. Oikawa liked talking to her, and by the end of the night, he was feeling incredibly satisfied and happy, and not just because the food had been absolutely fantastic.

It seemed like she liked Oikawa just as much as Oikawa liked her, and he couldn’t believe how relieved he felt at knowing this. It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and when she hugged them goodbye after dinner, Oikawa returned the gesture without any of the hesitation from earlier on in the night.

“Did you take the train here?” she asked in the elevator down from the restaurant.

“We did,” Iwaizumi confirmed.

“Do you want a ride back home then?” she asked. “My car’s parked outside so if you’re tired I don’t mind.”

“No, that’s okay, we’ll take the train back,” Iwaizumi shook his head. Oikawa nodded his head to confirm his agreement. “Thank you, though.”

“Alright, have a safe trip then. Text me when you’re back so I don’t worry,” she smiled.

“We will,” Iwaizumi confirmed.

“It was really nice meeting you obasan,” Oikawa added.

“It was nice meeting you too, Tooru-kun. I hope I can see you again, soon.”

“Of course,” he confirmed.

“Great, I’m in Tokyo for business until next Sunday before I have to head back to Hokkaido. Maybe we can grab lunch sometime before I leave,” she offered.

Oikawa honestly thought that ‘ _I hope I can see you again, soon’_ was just a thing people said to be polite but hearing Iwaizumi’s mum so quickly make plans again with him not only confirmed that she really _did_ like him, but it also made Oikawa’s face split into a wide smile for the very same reason. He almost couldn’t believe he had made it through dinner with Iwaizumi’s mum successfully and thinking about it just made him giddy.

“I’d love that,” Oikawa agreed happily. “Iwa-chan knows my work and school schedule but I can always change shifts if our times don’t match up because of it. If anything, Iwa-chan’s the one who is always busy so you should check with him first,” Oikawa teased.

“Then maybe we’ll just go out without him,” she answered swiftly.

“Hey,” Iwaizumi protested, which his mother dismissed with an absentminded wave.

Oikawa bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing at Iwaizumi’s putout expression. If they weren’t in front of his mum, Oikawa might have leaned down and kissed the pout away. It was cute how laidback he was with his mother, and it made Oikawa happy to know that they were just as close as Iwaizumi seemed to have been with his father.

“Anyway, I’ll check my schedule when I get home and let you both know,” she confirmed, stepping out of the elevator.

Oikawa and Iwaizumi fell into tow behind her. She hugged and kissed them both again when they turned to walk in opposite directions once they had made it out of the building. 

“Oh, before I forget,” she called, causing Oikawa and Iwaizumi to stop in their tracks and turn back around. “The theatre in Shibuya is going to be playing the original three Star Wars movies tomorrow. If there are tickets still available, you should go.”

“How did you– ?” Oikawa gaped, at the suggestion.

“Your cufflinks are very tasteful,” she said in response, before waving goodbye.

“What is she talking about?” Iwaizumi frowned, eyes moving down to Oikawa’s wrists. He caught sight of the Millennium Falcon cufflinks then, and couldn’t help but shake his head, large smile spread wide across his face. “These are so you,” he admired.

“Your mum is really cool,” Oikawa sighed, leaning his head against Iwaizumi’s shoulder while the other man weaved his fingers through Oikawa’s tightly now that they were alone.

Ginza was one of the busier neighbourhoods of Tokyo, but even in the crowded streets with people brushing past their shoulders as they tried to make it to their destinations, Oikawa couldn’t notice anyone but Iwaizumi when they were absorbed in one another like this.

“As cool as me?” Iwaizumi teased.

“ _Cooler_ ,” Oikawa responded instantly.

Iwaizumi chuckled at the response, moving his face to the side to quickly peck Oikawa’s cheek. “She is,” he confirmed. “But she seems to think you’re pretty cool too. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“No, it was actually really nice. She’s so witty and her sense of humour is _way_ better than yours,” Oikawa teased. “I like her,” Oikawa nodded.

“I’m glad,” Iwaizumi smiled.

“But I like you better, always,” Oikawa grinned cheekily.

“You sure you’re not just saying that so I go watch movies with you tomorrow?” he challenged.

“They’re not just _movies_ , Iwa-chan,” Oikawa squawked. “Star Wars is a masterpiece. And they’re playing the _originals_ , so we have to go see them. Please?”

“I bet you’ve already watched them a hundred times,” Iwaizumi chuckled.

“So? They’re so good, I’d watch them all day if I could,” Oikawa countered.

“Hmm, I know something else I’d rather watch all day,” Iwaizumi teased, nipping at the underside of Oikawa's jaw a few times.

“ _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa complained as heat spread across his cheeks. “I’m talking to you about Star Wars, don’t be so insensitive,” he protested.

Iwaizumi huffed but didn’t challenge him. “We can go tomorrow,” he said once they reached the entrance to the train station. Iwaizumi broke away from Oikawa’s side momentarily to swipe his pass against the card reader.

“Really?” Oikawa asked brightly, walking through the gate behind him.

“Yeah, and if the tickets are sold out, come over and we’ll watch them at my place. I’m sure you have the entire collection on DVD.”

“And Blu-ray,” Oikawa added, making Iwaizumi silently chuckle. “You’re not just saying that, but actually have plans to distract me throughout the movie, do you?” Oikawa narrowed his eyes suspiciously as an afterthought.

“I try to do something nice and you suspect me of having different intentions,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. Oikawa raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. “Fine, maybe I was going to distract you a _little_ ,” he admitted, lips quirked in amusement. “But I won’t until the movies are over if that’s what you want.”

Oikawa smiled contentedly at that. “I knew I liked Iwa-chan the best for a reason,” he beamed dazzlingly, pulling Iwaizumi along into the metro with him.

It was strange how in the span of two months, he had gone from not knowing Iwaizumi’s name to having dinner with him and his mum, who apparently liked him enough to want to see him again. Oikawa could never have predicted the outcome of his year when it first started but thinking back, Oikawa didn’t think he would have wanted to predict it either.

How he could have imagined his year to unfold would never have been able to live up to the reality of it, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next time:  
> \- surprise visit 2.0  
> \- humour --> miscommunication --> fluff (IT ENDS OFF WITH FLUFF DW DW)
> 
> ok i'm gonna do a bit of shameless plugging again:  
> my new [baby (fast and furious iwaoi au)](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11621877/chapters/26131707)  
> twitter: [@oiivkawa](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa)  
> tumblr: [@oiivkawa](http://oiivkawa.tumblr.com)
> 
> anyway, i'd love to hear what you thought! leave me a comment or kudos please?


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys, guys!! look at this **awesome[fanart](https://iwaoi-sama.tumblr.com/post/164043291332/i-hope-youre-not-busy-tomorrow-evening-my-mum)** that my friend [@iwaoi-sama](https://iwaoi-sama.tumblr.com/) did from the ending scene in ch. 17!!!
> 
> if everyone could like it, reblog it, and check out the rest of her amazing works and blog, i'd appreciate it!! ♡ she's super sweet and i guarantee you won't regret stumbling across her blog if you're an iwaoi fan!
> 
> onto this chapter... it's kind of a transition ch but i wanted to showcase more of Iwa's feelings bc the fic will pick up on that aspect so i'm rly sorry for the lack of ‘action’ i guess in this ch ;;

On Wednesday, Oikawa had lunch with Iwaizumi’s mum. Despite all the protests she put up, Oikawa insisted on paying for _all of them_. He still couldn’t believe he had allowed her to pay ¥27,000 for _one_ meal. It was embarrassing and he didn’t think anything he could do would be able to fix that, but he could try, and he started by covering their lunch, since he had enough money for at least _that_ much. 

It was a casual event, since both Iwaizumi and Oikawa had to return to class afterwards. The weather was warm, the heat accompanied by a slight breeze, and they ended up finding a restaurant not too far from the school campus that didn’t require a reservation where they were seated on the patio on the second floor. The view was nice, the food was great and the company was the best. 

Oikawa felt way more at ease during the lunch than he had during dinner on Saturday, despite the fact that he thought that had actually went pretty well. Maybe it was the casual setting, or maybe it was the fact that he wasn’t completely alone with Iwaizumi and his mum, but his smiles came easier, _without_ the need for alcohol and he didn’t hold back on teasing Iwaizumi in front of his mum either – which she seemed to appreciate considering she joined in as much, if not _more_ than Oikawa. 

Iwaizumi to his credit, took the teasing like a pro. He made a few jabs at Oikawa himself, which Oikawa didn’t mind because he definitely deserved them, but maintained his adorably embarrassed expression for most of lunch. The banter was easy and Iwaizumi’s mum didn’t make Oikawa feel as awkward as he thought she might have made him feel with her presence. 

Even in a yellow sundress and beige hat, she looked just as awe-inspiring as she had when she was dressed up formally. Oikawa couldn’t help but point that out to her, which made her smile and loop her arm through his as she pulled Oikawa and Iwaizumi along the path to their destination. 

Oikawa kept thinking how domestic all of it was, and how easy it was to fall into a rhythm with the older woman. She was kind, and treated Oikawa like a son as much as she treated Iwaizumi as one. She took an interest in his schoolwork, unsurprisingly considering she had studied the same thing as he was studying, but the way she kept her unwavering attention on Oikawa made him feel like what he was saying was the most important thing in the world. 

While he had no doubt that her clear blue-green eyes conveyed firm leadership and fear when she needed them to, the way she looked at Oikawa as he was speaking showed nothing but warmth and admiration. It made Oikawa think that maybe her dimples weren’t the only thing Iwaizumi had gotten from her; he couldn’t help but see the similarities in their warm eyes, despite their different colours. 

It was probably one of the best lunches he had, and when he walked back to class with Iwaizumi, he was very aware of how sore his jaw felt from smiling so much.

He had thought that their lunch on Wednesday was the last time Oikawa would see Iwaizumi’s mum – at least for her current visit in Tokyo, because they hadn’t specifically made any further plans. And that was fine, because Oikawa was satisfied with her visit and how she seemed to like him, which was more than a success his books. So when she showed up at _Coffee King_ on Thursday afternoon, Oikawa was very shocked and surprised, even if he was pleased, to see her.

“Obasan, hi,” Oikawa greeted when she walked up to his queue. He hadn’t noticed that she was even waiting in line until she was standing in front of him and Oikawa had opened his mouth to ask for an order. 

“Hello Tooru-kun,” she greeted brightly. “You look handsome even in your uniform,” she smiled making Oikawa’s face light up. He could see Bokuto eyeing him from his spot at the cash register to the left of Oikawa curiously.

“What can I get for you?” he asked, pointing to the menu above his head.

“Something sweet and cold. I’ll let you pick what you think is best though,” she smiled.

Oikawa nodded before turning around to grab a cup. He decided on an iced mango-green tea, which wasn’t the sweetest thing on the menu but it was one of Oikawa’s favourites all the same. Before handing the cup over to Iwaizumi’s mum he picked up a black marker and scribbled a picture of a sun with a pair of sunglasses similar to the ones she had sitting atop her head. 

“Iced mango-green tea. I hope you like it,” he smiled, handing the cup to her. “Oh no, I’m not charging you for this,” he shook his head, waving the money she pushed towards him away; he would substitute it later from his own pocket. 

She pursed her lips slightly and Oikawa was mildly afraid he had upset her before her face perked up in a smile. “You’re too nice,” she tinkered. “And a flatterer,” she added, noticing the doodle. 

Oikawa’s face lit up once again, but he coughed the embarrassment away. “Is there anything else I can get you?” 

“Actually, there is. I came to see when you got off work. I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping with me,” she asked thoughtfully. 

“Oh,” Oikawa responded, eyes rounding in surprise. “Is Iwa-chan coming too?” 

“No,” she shook her head. “He’s too busy being a good student – said something about working on his design prototype. Does he leave you for school like this all the time?” she mused. 

Oikawa’s lips curved unsurely. “Sometimes, but it’s not really _leaving me for school_ ,” he chuckled. “I’m glad he’s passionate about his work, I don’t mind,” Oikawa smiled.

Apparently that had been the right thing to say because Iwaizumi Kotomi’s face brightened ten-fold after Oikawa’s proclamation. 

“At least he’s not slacking off,” she laughed. “Anyway, I know this is sudden and maybe a little bit awkward, but there was also something else I wanted to talk to you about. We don’t have to go shopping, dinner would be okay too,” she offered. 

Oikawa shook his head. “That’s okay, I like shopping, actually,” he reassured. 

“Great,” she beamed.  

“I end my shift in twenty minutes but I can probably leave early. Kenma – he's supposed to be covering my shift when I'm done – usually comes in early anyway, and he's a friend so I'm sure he won't mind.” 

“That's alright, take all the time you need,” she assured. “I'll just wait at one of the empty tables and sift through e-mails,” she chuckled, waving to Oikawa before taking her drink and heading to find a seat.  

Oikawa was nervous about why Iwaizumi's mum suddenly wanted to go shopping with him but she didn't look upset so he figured whatever it was that she said she wanted to talk to him about couldn't have been bad. It made him a little curious and he was looking forward to it, even if Iwaizumi wasn't coming with them.  

“Who was that?” Bokuto asked, sliding up next to Oikawa once he was finished with the orders he had been working on.  

“Iwa-chan's mum,” Oikawa responded with a smile.  

“Whoa, she's so… _pretty_ ,” Bokuto admired.  

Oikawa stifled his laughter in his hands. “She is, isn't she? Doesn't look anything like Iwaizumi though, except for when she smiles. Then you can tell they're related.”  

“Hmm, she's kinda intimidating too, so I can see that in him,” Bokuto chuckled.  

Oikawa tilted his head thoughtfully in her direction. “Huh, you're right,” he mused. 

“Did she come to visit you at work or something?”  

“Something like that,” he nodded, chewing his bottom lip nervously. “She said she wanted me to go shopping with her,” Oikawa admitted. “Actually, she said there's something she wanted to talk to me about…” he added nervously.  

“Wow, look at you, impressing his mum. So this is pretty serious, huh? I mean, he introduced you to his mother so that’s got to mean something.” Oikawa blushed, but nodded. “Don't worry, she was smiling the entire time she was here – I honestly thought she was just some older lady taken in by your charm but I guess not – so I don't think anything she wants to talk to you about is bad," Bokuto reassured.  

“Thanks, I kind of figured that but it still makes me a little nervous. Especially because it'll just be the two of us,” Oikawa's face twisted nervously.  

“Really?” Bokuto asked wide-eyed. “Not that I think that's a bad thing,” he added at noticing Oikawa's pained expression.

“Hmm, I guess,” Oikawa answered vaguely. He moved away from Bokuto when the next order came up but as soon as he was done, Bokuto moved back in towards him. 

“She's so pretty,” he sighed, turning to face Iwaizumi's mum again.  

Oikawa chuckled at the reaction. “Do you have a crush or something?” he teased. 

“No way,” Bokuto shook his head. “I’m just stating facts,” he defended. 

“I believe you,” Oikawa laughed. “Only because I know your heart belongs to Akaashi,” he goaded. Oikawa ducked his head from the hand Bokuto swung in his direction. “Do you want to meet her?” he asked, before Bokuto could actually pounce on him. 

“ _What_? Do you think I’m allowed to do that?” he asked seriously.  

“Of course you’re _allowed_ to meet her,” Oikawa rolled his eyes, an amused smile playing on the edge of his lips. “You want to, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, face pulled down pensively. His usually high eyebrows were furrowed, which was never a good thing where Bokuto was concerned. 

“You’re great, and she’s very nice. Let me introduce you to her,” he insisted. 

Bokuto nodded his head to confirm the action; Oikawa tugged at his arm and pulled him in the direction of Iwaizumi’s mum before he could change his mind. 

“Hello,” she greeted when she saw Oikawa and Bokuto standing at the table. 

“Obasan, I want you to meet Bokuto. He’s my co-worker and friend since first year. He’s studying athletic training and is currently a Wing Spiker for the Keio Boys Varsity Volleyball team,” Oikawa introduced, pushing Bokuto up a little, which was hard considering he was heavier than Oikawa. 

“Hi,” Bokuto waved shyly. “Sorry if this is weird,” he chuckled. “I just wanted to meet Iwaizumi’s mum because he doesn’t really talk about his family,” he admitted, face the colour of a tomato with how he was forgetting to breathe. 

“That’s alright,” she smiled, gesturing to the empty seat in front of her. Oikawa nudged Bokuto to sit down and he exhaled a breath. “You’re friends with my son as well?” 

Bokuto nodded. “Yeah, he’s really awesome, and dependent too. Helped me achieve my weightlifting goal at the gym,” he explained, before frowning at his eagerness. 

“Don’t let him spend too much time at the gym,” she teased. When Bokuto’s face fell though, she chuckled, indicating that she hadn’t been serious. “I was just teasing you, Bokuto-kun. I’m glad he has friends here,” she smiled. 

“You scared me,” Bokuto breathed, clutching his chest through his apron, which made Oikawa snort; he covered up with a cough but Bokuto still managed to catch the action. He glared at him, while Iwaizumi’s mum just sent him an amused look, as if trying to say she understood Oikawa’s reaction. 

“I just saw Kenma enter, so I’m going to let him know I’ll be leaving a few minutes early. I’ll meet you back here in a bit, if that’s alright with you, obasan.” 

“That’s perfectly fine. I’ll just have Bokuto-kun here keep me company while you’re gone,” she grinned, making Bokuto blush and Oikawa laugh. 

He waved goodbye before heading to the employee room where he saw Kenma walk to when he came into the store. Oikawa couldn’t help but wonder if he looked as nervous as Bokuto did speaking to Iwaizumi’s mum when Oikawa first met her – albeit the circumstances were different, but she was an important woman and it _was_ a little intimidating being in her presence even without the expectations of being her son’s boyfriend. 

But it seemed like Bokuto was doing just fine, because when Oikawa returned back to their table, after having changed into the clothing he wore to school, he was happily chatting with Iwaizumi’s mum. 

Oikawa kind of wished he had something better to wear because while he didn’t look bad in his ripped, light blue jeans, red low top converse, and simple, white t-shirt, he looked kind of out of place next to Iwaizumi’s mum in her navy skirt and cream-coloured blouse. If she minded, she didn’t bring it to Oikawa’s attention because she beamed at him when she noticed Oikawa walking back towards them. 

“You’re looking as handsome as ever,” she complimented, picking up her phone and purse and standing up to pull Oikawa into a hug now that he didn’t have his apron on. “Oh, I should have gotten a picture of you in your uniform, it was so cute,” she cooed.

Oikawa flushed, grateful that he had changed out of his work clothes before that could happen. He liked Iwaizumi’s mum just fine, but that would have been embarrassing as hell, and Iwaizumi would probably never let him forget it. 

“Nothing compared to you though,” Oikawa responded easily, swiftly avoiding the second part of her statement. 

She grinned at Oikawa in response, but didn’t wave the comment off. “Thank you for keeping me company, Bokuto-kun. The next time I’m in Tokyo, I’ll make sure that Hajime lets me meet _all_ of his friends, properly,” she promised. 

“Okay,” Bokuto nodded enthusiastically. “It was nice to meet you, have a good time!” 

“Likewise,” she greeted, looping her arm through Oikawa’s before pulling him towards the door. 

They ended up going to the shopping district in Ginza, which made Oikawa a little self-conscious because that wasn’t the usual place he liked to shop, but it was nice and he didn’t mind the change of scenery. It was busy with tourists and mid-day dwellers, but despite the congestion, Oikawa found himself liking it there. 

One thing he loved about Tokyo was all the people, which was odd since many people thought that was the _downside_ of the city. 

Having grown up in a smaller town though meant that the crowd, the bustle and liveliness that living in Tokyo brought was a welcome change. Oikawa was surprised at how well he fit into the city life, but he supposed he had Kuroo to thank for that. Being accustomed to having grown up in Tokyo himself, Kuroo had been the best tour guide in their first year. 

While Oikawa still missed Sendai and the quietness of the night sometimes, he enjoyed Tokyo – he often found himself hoping for a job in the big city when he graduated. It would be difficult for sure, but it would also be a good experience.

Since Chuo-ku wasn’t very far from Minato-ku, they took the train. Oikawa hadn’t expected Iwaizumi’s mum to tell him what she wanted to speak to him about right away, and especially not during their commute, but that didn’t stop him from glancing at her expectantly every few minutes through their conversation.

They treaded safer topics, like work, and Oikawa’s end of year business fair proposal that was due soon. 

“Do you have a team yet?” she asked as they strolled past large groups of people on the streets. Oikawa wasn’t sure which store they were heading to, but he had no qualms about visiting certain ones, so he let Iwaizumi’s mum lead.

“I have two people who have already agreed, but the third one is going to be a lot more difficult to convince. I have my eye on this one girl who is incredibly sharp-witted and intelligent, but the only problem is that Ushiwaka is trying to convince her to be on his team as well. I can’t submit our final teams until I’ve got a group of four and I don’t want anyone other than her,” he admitted.

“That’s tough,” she sympathized. “I doubt this Ushiwaka fellow has as much charm or talent as you do, so I’m sure she’ll be convinced to join you in the end.” 

“You have to say that because you’re biased,” Oikawa smiled. “Besides, Ushiwaka is plenty talented. His team came in first place last year and he consistently beats me by 1% in every class,” Oikawa confessed begrudgingly. 

“Well, as long as you’re allowed to, I’d be happy to help you with your project in any way that I can,” she offered. 

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Oikawa shook his head quickly. “You’re a busy woman and I don’t want to bother you,” he trailed off quietly. 

“Tooru-kun, honey, it’s not a bother at all. I want to help you,” she smiled reassuringly. 

Oikawa hesitated, before he nodded, accepting the aid. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. 

“Not a problem,” she replied swiftly. “Now tell me about this Ushiwaka guy so we can crush him,” she chuckled. “Is that really his name?” she asked at the oddity. 

Oikawa grinned, shaking his head. “Nah, Ushijima Wakatoshi. He’s plays with Bokuto on the Boys Varsity Volleyball team and also studying business management. He’s an overachiever, that’s for sure, which would be fine if he wasn’t also the biggest pain in my side,” he admitted. 

“You’re kidding me, right?” Oikawa paused at the shocked reaction. He wasn’t sure if the response was because of his word choice, or because she was actually confused about Ushijima’s achievements. 

“No?” Oikawa asked hesitantly. 

“Why am I not surprised that Ushijima’s son is as annoying as he is,” she muttered under her breath. 

“You know Ushijima-san?” 

“He’s only the most frustrating person I have to deal with every time I visit Miyagi. He’s the Director of Operations at Miyagi’s branch of the company and he always has to argue with every decision I make,” she scowled. 

Oikawa barked a laugh. “I can’t believe this – the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree. Iwa-chan doesn’t understand how annoying Ushiwaka is and won’t let me complain about him. He says I’m being childish and to give him the _benefit of the doubt_ or something like that,” Oikawa complained, lowering his voice to do a poor impression of Iwaizumi's tone. 

“Hajime doesn’t know anything,” his mother waved off. “Well, now you’ve just got more of a reason to kick Ushiwaka’s ass, right?” she beamed. 

Oikawa was taken off guard by the sudden uncouthness, but the shock lasted for a few seconds at best. He smiled broadly, nodding his head eagerly at the statement. “Of course!” he declared. “I’ve got both of our honours to uphold now.” 

“You’re funny,” she complimented. “Oh, let’s go in here,” she beckoned, pointing to the sign that read _The Suit Company_. Oikawa didn’t exactly need more suits but he shrugged. allowing himself to be tugged into the store anyway. 

“Are you buying something for Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked, eyes gazing around the posh interior of the store. 

All the more expensive suits were lined along the white marble walls, making each piece look like its own work of art. It was a fancy store, but busy with sales assistants dressed in sleek black clothing, walking engaged with the customers around them. The ceiling was high and vaulted to make it look even larger than it actually was; in the centre there was a large chandelier with bright lights that made the entire store look like it was sparkling. 

Oikawa could appreciate the good marketing – the atmosphere of the store just made him _feel_ important. 

“No, I wanted you to pick out a tuxedo,” she smiled hesitantly. “Unless you already have one, but I figured it wasn’t the kind of thing people brought with them to school.” 

“Uhm… _me_?” Oikawa asked disbelievingly. 

“I know, it’s an odd request, but this is actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” She gestured for Oikawa to move to the side where the selection of tuxedos was kept. “The company I work for holds a charity banquet twice a year – once in December and once in June,” she explained.

“Before accepting a teaching post at Hokkaido University, my husband worked for a long time within the manufacturing company I still work at developing a lot of the designs and testing. He still volunteered with the company during his free time even after he stopped working there so they want to present him with a contribution award this weekend at the banquet. I want Hajime to accept it, but he doesn’t want to considering the banquet is on Saturday and that’s also the day of his birthday, so he feels like it would be inappropriate.”

His _birthday_? Oikawa wasn’t aware of that. His eyes widened at the new information, which didn’t go unnoticed by Iwaizumi’s mum. 

“He didn’t tell you, did he?” she asked softly. 

Oikawa’s lips curved down in a frown as he shook his head. “No.” 

“I’m sorry, I should have let him tell you that,” she apologized. 

“That’s alright,” Oikawa said quickly. “Besides, I don’t think he would have told me at all, considering it’s Wednesday and we’ve been talking about another friend of ours’ birthday that’s next week for a while now.” 

“I hope you won’t be too hard on him for not telling you. He’s never liked celebrating his birthday, and with the added pressure from me, I’m sure he wanted to avoid it more than ever this year.” 

“It’s okay.” Oikawa tried a small smile, which looked completely out of place on his face given his mood, but he attempted it all the same. 

The truth was, Oikawa _could_ understand where Iwaizumi was coming from, so while he was a tad bit hurt that he didn’t tell Oikawa about his birthday, he really wasn’t going to chew him out for that. “So, you wanted me to talk to him about accepting the award?” Oikawa prompted, before the conversation could veer off topic. 

“Sharp,” she complimented. “But yes, I was hoping you’d be able to convince him,” she smiled sheepishly. 

Oikawa felt like it wasn’t his _place_ to convince Iwaizumi about going to a charity banquet and accepting an award for his father. Oikawa didn’t know much about their relationship but he could assume they were close. While Iwaizumi had told Oikawa a little about how his dad died, he hadn’t divulged any details of their past together.

“I don’t know if he’s going to listen to me,” Oikawa said honestly. “And I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask him,” he continued. 

“I know what I’m asking you isn’t exactly easy, but I think Hajime is just being stubborn. If he doesn’t end up coming, then that’s fine – I can understand that. I just want to make sure I’ve tried my best, as his mother,” she explained. “It would be a huge favour if you could just _try_ to talk to him, Tooru-kun.” 

Oikawa looked away from the intensity of her stare. Suddenly, he felt bashful and was reminded why Iwaizumi Kotomi was such a successful businesswoman in the first place. How was he supposed to say ‘no’ to her when she didn’t give him any other choice? 

“I’ll do it, but I can’t promise it will work,” he offered. 

“That’s all I ask,” she smiled. “And if he does end up agreeing, I want you to come with him, which is why we’re here,” she gestured. “It’s a formal event, so you’ll need to dress appropriately and since this was my request, I thought I should be the one to help you find the right outfit,” she beamed. 

Oikawa shook his head shyly, but his protests seemed to go unheard. As much as he tried to tell Iwaizumi’s mum that he was okay and that he didn’t need her to get him a tux for the event, she insisted that she should. He wanted to point out that she was basing all of this on the assumption that Oikawa would even be able to change Iwaizumi’s mind, which he still felt uneasy about. 

But if Iwaizumi Kotomi was one thing, she was stubborn, as Oikawa learned when he was thrown into a dressing room with a couple of different options to try on. He didn’t think he would ever even _need_ a tuxedo, but she was proving him wrong. 

He sighed as he tried on the material handed to him, wondering just _how_ he was supposed to broach the topic of the banquet – and also how he was supposed to ask Iwaizumi what he wanted for his birthday, because even though his mum said he wasn’t huge on celebrating it, Oikawa couldn’t just ignore an important date like that.

* * *

Oikawa was still in a daze, too lost in thought about the conversation he had with Iwaizumi’s mum and the heavy tux he was carrying in the shopping bag when he got home that evening. He didn’t have a clue _what_ he was supposed to say to Iwaizumi, considering he felt that it really wasn’t his place to say _anything_ , but he figured that since it was still Wednesday, and the banquet wasn’t until Saturday evening, he had some time to mull over his approach. 

So when he opened his apartment door and was met with the sight of Kuroo, Daichi and Iwaizumi hovering around the coffee table in the living room, Oikawa was completely blindsided. He didn’t know why, but he suddenly had the urge to hide the shopping bag behind his legs, which was a stupid idea because for one, it was too wide to be hidden and for another, it just made him look all the more suspicious. 

Thankfully, his boyfriend and his friends were far more interested in the coffee table, or what was _on_ the coffee table to notice Oikawa’s odd behaviour. 

“Hey, Oikawa, come over here and check this out,” Kuroo beckoned, giving Oikawa a passing glance before turning his attention back to whatever it was that they were looking at so closely at. 

Grateful for the distraction, Oikawa dropped the bag on the ground close to the stack of slippers so that it was partially blocked by the wooden shelves that held them. He knelt down on the rug around the table as he tried to understand the source of their attention. 

“Where’d you go?” Iwaizumi asked, making space for Oikawa between him and Kuroo. He kissed Oikawa’s cheek lightly before turning his head back to what Oikawa assumed was their prototype for their design class. 

“Shopping,” he answered vaguely. 

“By yourself?” Iwaizumi asked, surprised because Oikawa hated doing anything by himself. 

“Maybe I went on a shopping date,” he teased. “Kidding, kidding, I would _never_ ,” he promised, when he saw the frown on Iwaizumi’s face. He brought his lips down to Iwaizumi’s for a proper greeting, which also served as the distraction Oikawa needed. “What’s that?” he pointed to the object on the table when he pulled away, eager for a change in conversation topic. 

“It’s supposed to be a self-recharging drone,” Daichi supplied. “The problem with a lot of drones, especially in commercial use for sensitive or dangerous environments, is that their time limit runs out too fast. We use up too many to complete one job, which kind of defeats the purpose of using a drone in the first place,” he explained. 

“So how does it work?” Oikawa prompted.

“We currently don’t have a dependable fuel source, so that’s what we’re trying to do but once we have that locked, it should be able to clean out the fuel source and reuse it. We’re thinking of using an isobutanol base, but the problem is trying to find something that can maintain its reactivity without causing any side reactions,” Daichi continued.

“Huh, that’s pretty cool,” Oikawa agreed. He didn’t know the _mechanics_ or even the chemistry behind how their drone was supposed to work, but he could appreciate the theory behind it. Or as much of the theory as he could understand. “I mean, not that I mind that you’re here, but why our apartment?” he gestured between himself and Kuroo.

“That would be my fault,” Kuroo answered. “They needed me to make the solvents necessary for the battery to run on,” he grinned, pointing to his discarded safety glasses and box of blue latex gloves. 

“So our apartment really is going to turn into a science dump,” Oikawa mused half-heartedly. 

“Are you going to kick us out?” Iwaizumi asked. 

Oikawa hummed, as if he was thinking about doing just that. “I guess not. Just don’t blow anything up,” he sighed, giving in to the wide grins around him. “You’re crazy, all of you. I should just go hang out with Bokuto because at least he understands how dangerous all of this is,” Oikawa chuckled. 

“I’m sure he’d love that, but I’m warning you, he’ll just talk your ear off about Iwaizumi’s mum and ask you to tell him more about her considering he thinks it would be weird to ask Iwaizumi himself – no offense,” Kuroo sent Iwaizumi a lazy grin. 

“Why would he do that?” Iwaizumi furrowed his brows in confusion. 

“He hasn’t stop raving about how nice and pretty she is since she came into _Coffee King_ this afternoon. He’s been texting me to tell him when Oikawa gets home ever since he left with her,” Kuroo chuckled. 

Oikawa felt his heart sink. He wasn’t exactly _hiding_ that he had spent the afternoon with Iwaizumi’s mum, but he didn’t want to tell him that in front of other people either. 

“You too?” Daichi asked, pulling out his cell phone. “Look at these,” he ushered the device in Oikawa’s hands. “Ever since I told him we wouldn’t be going to the gym with him this evening because of our project plans and he figured out we were at your place, he’s been sending me texts nonstop,” Daichi complained. “I was tempted to block his number but I figured he’d just get upset if he ever found out I did that and I don’t need a dejected Bokuto on my case,” he laughed. 

“If I were you, I wouldn’t let Bokuto near your mum,” Kuroo snickered. 

“Leave him alone, he just thinks she’s admirable,” Daichi said gently. “But I think he does have a tiny bit of a crush so I’d be a _little_ wary,” he added, hiding a laugh behind his smile. 

“You went shopping with my mum?” Iwaizumi asked, turning his head towards Oikawa. 

“Yeah,” he admitted sheepishly. “She kind of showed up out of the blue and asked me when I got off work.” 

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Shopping for _what_?”

“Come on, Iwaizumi, don’t be so nosy,” Daichi patted Iwaizumi’s shoulder, sensing the sudden tension that emanated from him. 

Oikawa looked like a deer caught in headlights, even though he hadn’t actually done anything wrong. Still, he couldn’t help but feel as if Iwaizumi was pissed at him. Iwaizumi shrugged Daichi’s hand off his shoulders and looked past Oikawa’s head to the shoe rack that he had dropped his bag behind. Oikawa followed his line of sight hesitantly. 

“It’s not a birthday present if that’s what you’re wondering,” Oikawa said quietly. 

“My mum told you didn’t she?” Iwaizumi glared. 

“In her defense, she thought I knew when it was,” Oikawa said quickly.

“Hey Daichi, you hungry? I’m kind of feeling like ramen, what about you?” Kuroo cut in, getting up and moving towards the door at lightning speed. Daichi scrambled to his feet, leaving the prototype unmonitored on the coffee table and following Kuroo’s lead. 

“Sounds perfect. Want us to bring you back anything?” he asked, turning towards Oikawa and Iwaizumi – a clear indication that they _weren’t_ allowed to come with them. 

Oikawa shook his head. Iwaizumi ignored the question. Instead, Iwaizumi focused his attention on Oikawa, his lips pursing more with every passing second. Oikawa felt his throat dry up – he hadn’t felt this lost for words around Iwaizumi in a long time. 

“Alright, well, see you later,” Kuroo greeted, slipping out the door with Daichi in tow. 

It was painfully obvious that they were trying to get out of the apartment and away from the looming argument between Iwaizumi and Oikawa. Oikawa kind of wished they would have stayed, if only because he knew Iwaizumi was too nice to yell at him in front of other people. Now that his buffer was gone, Oikawa wasn’t sure he was going to get away from having to deal with his angry boyfriend.

“I’m sorry,” Oikawa blurted out the moment the door closer. He didn’t give Iwaizumi a chance to build up his anger. 

“For going shopping with my mum?” Iwaizumi questioned. 

“No,” Oikawa denied. “For not telling you,” he corrected.

“You don’t have to tell me what you do,” Iwaizumi frowned, moving away from the table and Oikawa.

Oikawa was mildly afraid he was going to follow Kuroo and Daichi’s lead and leave the apartment as well, but instead he sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him for Oikawa to sit on so they weren’t just kneeling around the coffee table uncomfortably. 

“I know, but I feel bad about _why_ I went out with her. I mean, I didn’t know what she wanted to talk to me about when we first went and I _swear_ I thought she told you we were going out, but then I realized she probably chose a time you were busy on purpose because of the topic…” he trailed off. He picked himself up from his spot around the coffee table and sat down on the couch next to Iwaizumi. 

Despite the fact that they were sitting _right next to_ one another, Oikawa left a slight space between them that would have otherwise been filled by one of them. Iwaizumi eyed the space, but didn’t do anything to remove it. 

“Did she tell you about this weekend?” 

“She did,” Oikawa confirmed. 

“Did she tell you I didn’t want to go?” 

“Yeah, but then she asked me to convince you,” he frowned. “I told her I didn’t want to and even if I did, you probably wouldn’t listen to me, but she was certain I had some kind of shot,” he fidgeted. 

“Do _you_ want me to go?” Iwaizumi asked, moving his hand to hold Oikawa's. 

Oikawa was a little surprised by the touch, but not as surprised as he was when he felt Iwaizumi tug him closer to fill in the gap between their bodies.

“I want you to do what _you_ want,” Oikawa insisted. “I told your mum I’d try to convince you, but I’m going to have to apologize to her because I don’t think I can,” he answered honestly. “It’s your decision, and I don’t see anything you decide to do as ‘right’ or ‘wrong,’” he assured. 

Iwaizumi was silent for a moment, before he nodded, pulling Oikawa’s head against his chest. “I’m sorry,” he whispered against the top of Oikawa's head. 

“What are you apologizing for?” Oikawa asked disbelievingly. 

“For getting angry with you,” he admitted sheepishly. “And in front of other people too. That was unfair of me,” he apologized. 

Oikawa swallowed the lump in his throat. It was obvious that the subject of his dad was a touchy topic at best, and while Oikawa didn’t know much about the situation, he could still understand it. He wasn’t angry at Iwaizumi for getting so worked up – if anything, Oikawa felt like he was guilty for unintentionally going behind Iwaizumi's back. 

“It was just Kuroo and Daichi – I doubt they care. I was being kind of suspicious anyway,” Oikawa agreed, hoping to diffuse the tension. 

“Still, that’s not an excuse,” Iwaizumi answered apologetically. 

“I forgive you,” Oikawa smiled sincerely. “How about we just both forget this happened and agree we’re good?” Iwaizumi nodded, bringing his mouth to Oikawa’s cheek and placing a soft kiss in his wake. “So I take it you don’t want to go to the banquet? I don’t mind either way, I’m just confirming that’s what _you_ want,” Oikawa reassured. 

“Yeah, I’d rather not. They’re always stuffy events and I hate them,” Iwaizumi admitted. Oikawa knew the real reason was the award and the mention of his father, but he didn't press it. The way Iwaizumi was looking at him, pained and sincere all at once was good enough for Oikawa at the moment. 

“Oh thank god, I didn’t want to go either,” Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief. “I was told to come with you, and I don’t think I’d do well in that kind of a situation.” 

“What are you talking about? You’d probably end up charming everyone around you. That’s why you’re studying business management, right? Because you’re good at talking to people?” Iwaizumi chuckled. 

“I’m not as good as your mum is though,” Oikawa retorted. 

“I can’t argue with that but to be fair, I don’t think many people are,” Iwaizumi admitted. “She’s kind of hard to say ‘no’ to.” 

Oikawa nodded sheepishly at the admission, if only because those were his thoughts exactly. He pulled his knees up and tucked them against his chest before pressing his back to Iwaizumi’s side and settling himself against his boyfriend comfortably. 

“Does this mean I can return the tux now?” Oikawa asked, jerking his head towards the shopping bag. 

“Is that what you bought?” 

“Yes – although I didn’t pay for it so it’s technically what your mum bought. You’ve got to tell her to stop paying for me, Iwa-chan. It’s so embarrassing and she won’t listen when I tell her it’s okay,” he said abashedly. 

“I’m so sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized embarrassedly. “We can return it this weekend,” he promised, pulling Oikawa down so his head rested in Iwaizumi’s lap. “And I’ll talk to her about paying for things. She thinks she’s being nice, but I can see that it would make you feel uncomfortable,” he answered, pulling his fingers through Oikawa’s hair softly. 

“You know I still like her, right?” Oikawa asked, peering up at Iwaizumi. 

This was still Iwaizumi’s mum they were talking about and he didn’t begrudge her for wanting Oikawa to talk to Iwaizumi or even for wanting to pay for his things. She was just trying to look out for Iwaizumi after all, and Oikawa could understand that since his mother was like that too. 

“I wasn’t worried that you didn’t,” he smiled amusedly. “Although I doubt you like her as much as Bokuto from what I just heard,” he teased. 

Oikawa turned his face to hide it in Iwaizumi’s stomach as laughter racked his entire body. “Poor Bokuto,” Oikawa chuckled, moving away slightly. “Kuroo’s never going to let him live this down,” Oikawa said, bursting into laughter at the thought again. 

“ _I’m_ never going to let him live this down,” Iwaizumi snorted, trying to stop his own laughter from escaping in loud bursts. 

“Maybe you should get your mum to tell Bokuto to ask Akaashi out. I bet he’d listen to her,” Oikawa teased. Iwaizumi laughed in response, nodding his head in agreement.

Oikawa was glad that Iwaizumi wasn’t angry with him, even if he hadn’t even been able to follow though with Iwaizumi's mum’s request. He didn’t think she had any bad intentions, but Oikawa was grateful that he hadn’t tried to convince Iwaizumi to do something he didn’t want to. Even if Oikawa had been able to make him go, he would have felt guilty about it, and that wasn’t something he was sure he could live with. 

“Can I ask you something?” Oikawa asked once they had both calmed down from laughing. He had shifted his weight horizontally, so that his legs were still tucked against his chest but now his head was resting in Iwaizumi’s lap. 

“Sure,” Iwaizumi nodded. 

“What do you want for your birthday?” Oikawa asked sheepishly. 

“Nothing,” Iwaizumi replied instantly. 

“That’s not fair. Everyone wants _something_ ,” Oikawa prodded.

“I don’t,” Iwaizumi assured firmly. Oikawa raised his eyebrows disbelievingly in his direction. “I’m serious, I don’t want anything.” 

“Are you just saying that and then will actually get angry when I don’t get you something? Or are you going to be angry if I _do_ get you something?” Oikawa pressed. 

“Neither,” Iwaizumi assured. “I don’t want anything for my birthday, but you can do whatever you want. I promise I won’t be angry either way,” he said, bending down to press a kiss to Oikawa’s nose, which wrinkled at the vague answer. 

“Ugh, you’re being so difficult,” Oikawa complained. “Why can’t you just be a normal person and ask for what you want,” he sighed theatrically.

“Because I don’t want anything,” he insisted. “I’m happy with just spending the day with you, alright?” 

“Oh so you _do_ want something,” Oikawa teased. When Iwaizumi quirked his brow up in confusion, Oikawa continued, “You want me to spend the day with you, huh?” 

“Well, _yeah_ ,” Iwaizumi said nervously. 

“Just me?” Oikawa asked, eyelashes fluttering low.

“What, you don’t want to?” 

“Don’t be silly, of course I do,” Oikawa chuckled. “I was just teasing, but really, if that’s all you want then can we go to Kansenen Park? The water irises should be in full bloom now, and then maybe to Omoide Yokocho for dinner later?” he asked hopefully. 

“I’d like that,” Iwaizumi confirmed, smiling down at Oikawa's beaming face. Oikawa couldn’t help it when his own smile turned into a grin as he stared up at Iwaizumi's happy face. 

“Next weekend Suga wants to have a small get together at his and Daichi’s to celebrate his birthday, which I’m sure he’ll turn into a joint party once I tell him your birthday was just a few days before his,” Oikawa said, eyes sparkling with a teasing glint. 

Iwaizumi groaned. “Don’t do that,” he said warily. 

“Too bad Kuroo and Daichi were here when I said what I bought wasn’t a birthday present. If I don’t say something to Suga, one of them will and I can bet it’ll be Kuroo. He’s fantastic at putting things together,” Oikawa stated smugly. 

“Yeah?” Iwaizumi asked. “Like how he figured out what my name was before I told you?” Iwaizumi teased. 

“ _What_?” Oikawa screeched, sitting up straight and almost knocking his head into Iwaizumi’s face along the way. “How’d you know that?” he asked, face flushed. 

“Kuroo told me,” Iwaizumi laughed at Oikawa’s embarrassed reaction. 

“What else did he tell you?” Oikawa asked suspiciously. 

“That you were drooling over my profile picture,” he stated matter-of-factly. 

“What an asshole, I can’t believe he’d sell me out like that. I’m never telling him anything ever again,” Oikawa huffed. “When did he even tell you this, anyway?” he asked, narrowing his eyes further. 

“He called me a few nights ago at like 3 am. Don’t be so hard on him,” Iwaizumi chuckled when Oikawa let out a strangled cry. “He was pretty drunk when he called, and he said it was a secret, so at least he covered his bases.” 

Oikawa didn’t look amused with the reaction, so Iwaizumi pulled his head back down in his lap to card through his hair softly. “If it’s any consolation, I thought it was cute and definitely _not_ stalkerish,” he teased. 

“You’re so mean to me, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whined, burying his face in his hands. 

“Aw, come on, don’t be embarrassed. At least, don’t hide it when you are. It’s cute,” he grinned, pulling Oikawa’s hands away from his face. From this angle, Oikawa could see right into Iwaizumi’s brilliant, green eyes. The way he was looking down at him so serenely, like he was staring right through Oikawa instead of _at_ him made Oikawa self-conscious but it also made him feel important. 

“I’m going to get you an ugly shirt for your birthday and you’ll have to wear it because it’s from me,” Oikawa threatened. 

“Oh yeah?” Iwaizumi snorted. “Who made up that rule?”

“Well as my boyfriend, you have to,” Oikawa argued. “Unless you don’t like me enough to wear something I buy you,” he sniffed. 

“Hey, I never said that,” Iwaizumi started nervously. 

“You basically did,” Oikawa pouted, eyes watering instinctively. 

“Oikawa, come on, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’ll wear any clothes you buy me, and I won’t even call them ugly,” he assured. 

The crease in Iwaizumi’s eyebrows disappeared the moment he saw Oikawa’s wide grin, knowing he had been played. 

“You asshole,” he cursed, rolled Oikawa off the couch and onto the rug below them. “I can’t believe you,” he chuckled, knees placed on either side of Oikawa’s giggling body, face hovering inches from Oikawa’s own. 

“Did I make you mad?” Oikawa teased. 

“Hmm, maybe,” Iwaizumi answered vaguely. The smile threatening to break across his face said otherwise though. 

“What are you going to do about it?” Oikawa asked mischievously. 

“This,” Iwaizumi replied before running his fingers along the length of Oikawa’s sides. 

“Iwa-chan, that _tickles_ ,” Oikawa complained squirming underneath Iwaizumi’s grasp, but having Iwaizumi on either side of him made it impossible for Oikawa to break out of his boyfriend’s hold. “Stop, stop, I surrender,” he insisted, tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard. 

“I’m not sure I believe you,” Iwaizumi replied, slowing down the tickling but not stopping completely. 

“I promise I won’t get you an ugly shirt!” Oikawa yelled. “I won’t fake being upset when I’m not either!” he continued. “Iwa-chan, my sides – my sides are _aching_ ,” he wailed. 

“Okay, I think you’ve had enough,” he agreed, pulling his hands away from Oikawa’s side. Oikawa took the opportunity to wrap his hands around Iwaizumi’s wrists, pulling him flush against his chest. The only thing keeping Iwaizumi’s weight off of Oikawa was the fact that he had caught himself in the sudden pull and managed to move some of the weight off of Oikawa’s chest and maintain it on his knees. 

“What are you doing?” Iwaizumi smiled, eyes glossing over Oikawa’s face, flushed in a light pink from laughing so hard. The proximity also made his face glow pinker thanks to the embarrassment, which Iwaizumi was quick to notice. 

Oikawa didn’t think he would ever get over how handsome Iwaizumi was and how just being _close_ to him made him feel happy enough to spread heat across his face. 

“Getting you back,” he replied simply. He smiled charmingly at Iwaizumi – eyes crinkled in happiness and his teeth flashed for a brief second before he pulled at Iwaizumi’s hands a little more, tugging his face down towards his. 

Iwaizumi didn’t hesitate to kiss Oikawa back, moving his hands out of Oikawa’s grip to cup his face lightly, breathing in Oikawa’s scent deeply as he poured his feelings out against Oikawa’s lips. It was sweet, and soft, and chaste – it reminded Oikawa very much of their first kiss, which made him grin against Iwaizumi’s lips.

They were both so lost in the feeling of touching one another, moulding their lips against one another, _breathing in_ one another, that they didn’t notice the door unlock and Kuroo and Daichi walk back in. 

“Oh gross, I fucking told you they were fine,” Kuroo said pointedly. 

Daichi looked embarrassed but pleased. “Sorry,” he apologized, when Oikawa and Iwaizumi broke away from each other to look at him. They were still lying on the ground and with Oikawa’s head facing away from the door, when he tilted it back to check who was speaking, he was met with an upside down view of Kuroo and Daichi. Daichi looked sheepish and Kuroo just plain unamused with their antics. 

“Are you going to just stand there?” Oikawa asked after a while. Iwaizumi was busy staring at the rug that Oikawa was lying against, red-faced and embarrassed. 

“You going to kick us out?” Kuroo asked. “Of my own home?” 

“No, you can stay if you want, but we’re not moving,” Oikawa said smugly.

His threat backfired though when Kuroo moved to take off his shoes. “ _Oikawa_ ,” Iwaizumi hissed, at the same time Daichi muttered, “ _No,_ Kuroo, we’re leaving.”

“So are we really staying here?” Iwaizumi asked once Kuroo and Daichi had left again and his face recovered from the embarrassment. He looked up to make sure the door was locked, so there couldn’t be any more untimely interruptions. 

“Hmm,” Oikawa agreed absentmindedly, tracing the outline of Iwaizumi’s biceps with the pads of his fingers.

“Last time you complained about your back being sore in the morning,” Iwaizumi reminded gently. 

“Too bad, I don’t want to move,” Oikawa huffed. 

“So pouty,” Iwaizumi chuckled, kissing the petulant expression off his face.

“Does it bother you?” Oikawa questioned innocently. 

“Not a chance,” Iwaizumi replied without missing a beat. He moved back to kissing Oikawa as if they hadn’t been interrupted at all. 

And while Oikawa very much wanted to complain the next morning about how his back _was_ sore, he couldn’t find it in himself to. Not when he had been the one to maintain their position in the living room and certainly not when he had a very good reason to deal with a sore back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing cuddly Iwaizumi and Oikawa makes me so happy ;; on a side note, i know i usually update early Friday mornings (my time - EST - anyway) but i'll be a little busy next week. don't worry, for those who don't see the update go up at the usual time, i'll still get it to you before the end of the day c: 
> 
> and before anyone hates on Iwaizumi's mother, she has no bad intentions! feelings are difficult and the situation is hard to assess when emotions are running high so just leave it at that, please. i'd explain more but it'll ruin the fic >.>
> 
> next time:  
> \- “how the fuck do you make meringue?” - Oikawa  
> \- enter: matsuhana
> 
> leave me a comment/kudos to let me know what you thought please! ♡


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still Friday for me, so i managed to get this up on time! i'm dead tired today so i ask that you forgive my editing mistakes >.<
> 
> oh yeah, we now have a number for how many chapters there's going to be... 13 more to go, and i'm kind of really sad even tho i'm happy that i'll be finishing this (my first finished fic??)

The next day, Oikawa found himself cooped up in his apartment at 7 pm despite it being a Friday. With Iwaizumi busy in class on Fridays until late, Oikawa didn’t mind taking on the evening shift because at least that meant that he and Iwaizumi could walk home together after his tutorial ended.

It was a routine that they had accidentally fallen into, but one that Oikawa didn’t mind at all. Mondays and Wednesdays they had enough time to eat lunch with one another in between classes, but their schedules conflicted otherwise, so Fridays were nights where Oikawa had something to look forward to. It was especially nice at the end of the week, with the promise of their time together rolling over into the weekend.

Most of the time, Oikawa ended up staying over at Iwaizumi’s, thanks to his lack of roommate, but sometimes, whether Kuroo was home or not, Iwaizumi would stay over at Oikawa's, because while Oikawa loved spending time with Iwaizumi, he also missed his friends, and thankfully, Iwaizumi was happy to oblige.

Considering that this had been a routine for almost two months now, it was strange for Oikawa to have opted out of a Friday shift and avoided walking home with Iwaizumi, which in turned meant that Oikawa would not be spending the night with his boyfriend.

He _was_ busy though, and he had a _plan_. There was a perfectly good explanation for why Oikawa wasn’t working his usual shift, and why he had dismissed the idea of him and Iwaizumi spending the night together when the latter asked, with the excuse of having an essay due by midnight, that he claimed he had completely forgotten about.

That was a lie, but if Iwaizumi knew that Oikawa never did things at the last minute – the anxiety of not completing a task _on time_ being too much – he didn’t question it.

“No offense,” Kuroo started, breaking Oikawa out of his focus, “but why are you home?” he asked, having caught sight of Oikawa in the kitchen with an apron tied around his waist. A slight sheen of sweat covered his forehead, but whether that was from worry or exertion was anyone’s guess.

Oikawa wrinkled his nose in distaste at Kuroo’s tone of voice. He contemplated ignoring Kuroo entirely, but he had known the man long enough to know that what he said really hadn’t been meant to offend him and if he ignored the question, then Kuroo wasn’t likely to leave Oikawa alone.

“It’s Iwa-chan’s birthday tomorrow,” he answered dully, turning away from Kuroo who was still standing by the end of the genkan that was connected to the kitchen by a small entrance in the wall.

“Oh I thought it might be soon – I didn’t know it was tomorrow though,” Kuroo hummed thoughtfully to himself. “Still doesn’t answer why you’re home on a Friday. Isn’t this, like your impromptu date night or something? And if it’s his birthday tomorrow, shouldn’t you, I don’t know, be spending time _with_ him?” he called over his shoulder.

Kuroo placed his shoes neatly on the rack, dropped his bag on the floor by the door and padded into the kitchen where he was met by the mess that Oikawa had created.

“Whoa, what is _this_?” he asked, stifling his laughter in his hands as he took in the sight of the array of ingredients lining the limited counterpace.

“Don’t laugh at me,” Oikawa chided, turning around to point the knife he had been using to chop vegetables absentmindedly in Kuroo’s direction.

“Relax,” Kuroo calmed, maneuvering himself carefully, out of Oikawa’s path of trajectory. “I wasn’t laughing at _you_ – I was just asking what you’re doing with all this food,” he placated, eyes going slightly wider at the lack of space in the kitchen.

Oikawa frowned, but put the knife down on the cutting board between the half-cut green onion and the jar of unopened beni shoga. He turned on the tap to wash his hands before drying them on his apron messily – the kitchen was too cluttered for him to even spot a hand towel at the moment, let alone _find_ one.

“For someone so good at piecing information together, you’re kind of dumb when you want to be,” Oikawa answered flippantly.

Kuroo rolled his eyes. “I’m not dumb, I know what you’re doing,” he insisted.

“Then why’d you ask me?” Oikawa narrowed his eyes.

“I thought it would be funny to make you say it,” he mused, grinning widely. Oikawa shoved his shoulder lightly, but didn’t protest.

He supposed the sight of him actually cooking was something to marvel about. It wasn’t that Oikawa was _bad_ at making food… he just didn’t have the finesse or patience needed to make it taste good most of the time, which was why he ended up eating out so often, or depending on the meals Kuroo, and now Iwaizumi cooked for him.

“You must really like him if you’re going through the trouble of cooking,” Kuroo mused. “Or you must really hate him and want to poison him,” he added cheekily.

“ _Kuroo_ ,” Oikawa whined childishly before asking, “Do you really think it’ll taste bad?” He eyed the takoyaki batter that he hadn’t put into the pan yet to test out, nervously, chewing his bottom lip between his teeth as he thought about the chances of it actually coming out the way it was supposed to.

“No, I’m just teasing you,” Kuroo said quickly, noticing the panic and insecurity settle on Oikawa’s face. “Want help?” he asked, jerking his head towards the scattering of ingredients everywhere.

“Really? You want to help?” Oikawa asked suspiciously. “What’s the catch?”

“What, I can’t just want to help you because I’m a good friend? I’m hurt,” Kuroo sighed, clutching his shirt with his right hand.

Oikawa rolled his eyes at the gesture but a small smile found its way onto his face all the same. “Alright, you can help,” he agreed, upon deciding that Kuroo genuinely did want to help without getting anything in return. “I still have to make the curry for the fish balls, so if you want to start that, I have the recipe next to the fridge and all the ingredients you need set up next to it.”

“Huh, so this isn’t just a random assortment of ingredients,” he said more to himself than Oikawa, noticing that what he previously thought was a cluttered mess was somewhat of an _organized_ mess.

Oikawa had set up mini stations around the kitchen with recipes and their respective ingredients. It made Kuroo oddly proud of his friend, if a little wary because what was he going to do with all that food? All the same, Kuroo nodded and headed for the sink to wash his hands before grabbing a spare apron and taking his place near the fridge to start up on the curry for the fish balls.

They worked together like that for about twenty minutes, Oikawa’s phone blasting music to fill in the silence between them, while the only other sounds in the kitchen were the clanking of chopsticks against bowls and knives against the chopping board.

While they weren’t normally quiet around one another, especially not when cooking, Oikawa was too focused on preparing the food in front of him to pay much attention to Kuroo, and Kuroo was seemingly busy doing the same thing, not wanting to upset Oikawa and be the reason for failure.

“Are you cooking the fish balls today or do you just want me to prepare the curry?” Kuroo questioned when he had finished mixing all the ingredients he needed together.

The only thing that remained to be added was the packet of fish balls that were neatly stacked in the fridge.

“Nah, that’s okay, I’ll do that in the morning,” he replied after thinking about it for a few seconds. It would leave him with a lot to cook in the morning, but at least the prep work would have been completed.

“Yeah, no problem. Anything else?”

“Yeah,” Oikawa answered sheepishly. “How the fuck do you separate egg whites from the egg yolk?” he mumbled quickly, turning his head so that Kuroo couldn’t see his embarrassment, which was futile because the question caused an outburst from the other man anyway.

“Stop laughing, you jerk!”

“Holy shit, I’m sorry, but I was not expecting _that_ ,” he admitted, wiping a tear that had slipped down his cheek.

“That wasn’t even funny!” Oikawa protested, bottom lip jutting out in displeasure.

“It was kind of funny,” Kuroo reasoned, sobering up. “Give me the eggs, I’ll do it for you. Guess I can put my chemistry lab skills to use in the kitchen,” he agreed, holding his hand out for the eggs and the bowl that was on Oikawa’s side of the kitchen. “What do you need to do this for anyway?” he asked as an afterthought.

“I wanted to make a traditional cheesecake,” Oikawa admitted. “Iwa-chan doesn’t like sweets so I didn’t know what other kind of cake to make him considering they’re all _sweet_. I guess this one is too, and I could have made a matcha cake I guess,” he trailed off, wondering if he should just scrap the idea now and save himself.

“Shut up, this is fine,” Kuroo said knowingly as he began carefully separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. Kuroo's firmness put that thought out of Oikawa's mind, if only for the time being.

“Stop showing off,” Oikawa frowned petulantly, watching Kuroo pass the yolk from one half of the eggshell to the other so quickly, while simultaneously letting the egg whites drip into the bowl below him.

“Jealous?” Kuroo grinned.

“Don’t look at me! Look at the eggs – you’ll fuck it up otherwise!” Oikawa screeched. “And I don’t need you showing off to me. Save that for the weak students you have to TA,” Oikawa waved dismissively.

“I don’t need to purposely do anything to show off to them. I poured solvent from a large 5 L bottle to smaller 500 mL bottles and they thought I was a fucking king or something,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s not fun when they think everything I do is great,” Kuroo frowned.

“Oh yeah, that’s so terrible that you have students who _respect you_ ,” Oikawa trilled.

“They don’t respect me, the little shits. They just admire me, there’s a difference,” he insisted.

“If you say so,” Oikawa shrugged, covering the yawn that escaped him with the back of his hand.

“How long have you been up?” Kuroo eyed suspiciously.

“Since 5 am. I traded my evening shift for the morning one so that I could have time to come home and do this,” he admitted, face heating up slightly.

“Remember to go to bed on time,” he chastised. “Iwaizumi had better appreciate all this or I will personally kick his ass,” Kuroo promised.

Oikawa stifled a laugh at his best friend’s words. Kuroo was a shit most of the time, but a loyal shit, and that was more important to Oikawa than any other quality his friend could have possessed. “Thanks,” he said embarrassedly.

Kuroo grinned in response before he returned to the task at hand. They were silent again for a few minutes before he asked, “Why are you making so much food?”

Oikawa paused, and looked around the kitchen. He hadn’t thought of it as _so much_ food but now that Kuroo mentioned it, he supposed he had gone a little overboard. Would Iwaizumi think it was too much as well?

He wasn’t sure where the doubtful thoughts were coming from, considering he hadn’t felt them in a long time around Iwaizumi, but it was suddenly like he had lost all of his confidence. Maybe it was the fact that he didn’t know what he was doing in the kitchen, or maybe it was the fact that Iwaizumi had said he didn’t want anything for his birthday and Oikawa felt that him making his boyfriend food counted as a birthday present.

But Iwaizumi cooked for him whenever Oikawa was spending time at his house and the number of times that was growing exponentially so really, this shouldn’t have been such a big deal, and yet, it _was_.

Whatever the reason was though, it left his stomach unsettled and his palms sweaty. He tucked his hands into the small pockets of his apron and rocked back on the heel of his feet, seemingly avoiding answering Kuroo’s question before he gave into the ever-so increasing raised eyebrows.

“This is all the food we had on our first date,” he admitted sheepishly. “I mean, not the cheesecake, but it’s not a birthday without a cake, right?” Oikawa insisted, shifting his head to avoid letting Kuroo see the blush that had taken over his face.

“You know, I want to make fun of you for this but that’s actually pretty romantic, so good for you, Oikawa,” Kuroo smiled, nudging Oikawa’s arm with his elbow, lightly.

“You think?” Oikawa asked hopefully.

Kuroo frowned, putting the egg yolks into a spare bowl. He washed his hands before drying them against the front of his apron. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I _mean_ , you’re acting weird, shy, _nervous_. Did you do something you want to talk about? Or did you guys not get over your fight from Wednesday?” he prodded gently.

Oikawa’s face twisted at the question, because Kuroo had seen through him. Was he just easy to read, or did Kuroo sensing Oikawa’s anxiety come from knowing him for three years?

“I’m pretty sure we’re over that,” Oikawa confirmed. Kuroo waited for him to continue patiently. “But, Iwa-chan said he didn’t want anything for his birthday, yet here I am, doing _something_ for his birthday,” Oikawa admitted. He clenched the insides of the apron pockets his hands were still stuffed in tightly, as he waited for a response from Kuroo, who only nodded his head for Oikawa to continue.

“We had plans to spend the day at Kansenen park, which doesn’t require much effort and I don’t know, I guess I’d feel bad no matter what I did,” he laughed hollowly.

“He won’t care _what_ you do,” Kuroo reassured.

“That’s what Iwa-chan said,” Oikawa added quietly.

“Then why are you getting worked up about this? I’m sure he’d have been fine with you not doing a single thing for him for his birthday, but I’d bet all the money I have on the fact that he’ll be absolutely blown away by your effort, _and_ thrilled about it too.”

“You think so?”

“Of course,” Kuroo answered without hesitation. The firmness of his voice had Oikawa feeling a bit better about the situation. “He likes you – enough to let you meet his mum,” Kuroo reminded. “That’s a pretty big deal, so I guarantee he’ll be happy about this. Hell, he’d be crazy if he wasn’t, _which_ won’t happen,” he added quickly. “And if it does, I’ll bring Daichi to kick his ass since Bo will probably turn on me,” he laughed, lifting Oikawa's worries with a few words.

Oikawa chuckled at that. “Okay, yeah, you’re right,” Oikawa nodded slowly. “I’m a pretty good boyfriend, huh?” he asked, grinning goofily, eyes falling into half moons as the happiness wracked his body.

“Yeah, yeah, you nerd,” Kuroo agreed, ruffling Oikawa’s hair affectionately. “Speaking of family though, are you going to let him meet yours?”

“They don’t really come to Tokyo much but yeah, I guess – I mean, why wouldn’t I?” Oikawa asked confusedly.

“Just make sure that he doesn’t meet your dad and your brother at the same time. Did you forget back in first year when they came to visit you and your brother convinced your dad I was your boyfriend so they tried to arrest me?” Kuroo snorted.

“You’re exaggerating,” Oikawa huffed, fighting through the embarrassed blush that had taken over his face. “They wouldn’t have arrested you.”

“I was _handcuffed_ ,” Kuroo deadpanned.

“You wouldn’t have been charged,” Oikawa waved dismissively. “That’s a violation of whatever oath it is that they have to take.”

“Your dad’s Miyagi’s Chief of Police – I’m pretty sure he could have arrested me if he wanted to and no one would have batted an eye.”

“That’s an abuse of power,” Oikawa rolled his eyes.

“They only let me go because you said I was already dating Kenma, which I wasn’t at the time,” he reminded. “But, I guess I can’t really be angry, since they scared the shit out of me and I would have rather faced Kenma’s rejection at that point than have them find out I wasn’t even in a relationship, which would _definitely_ have given them a reason to arrest me,” he shuddered.

Oikawa chuckled at the memory. There weren’t many things that could frighten Kuroo but Oikawa's father and older brother were definitely two people who could. Having grown up with them, Oikawa was used to their quirks – he didn’t see them as police officers so much as his _family_ , which cut down the intimidating aura for him. Objectively though, he understood where Kuroo was coming from.

He hoped that Iwaizumi’s first meeting with them went much better than Kuroo's had.

“That was pretty great wasn't it?” Oikawa grinned. “But, since you seem to be so nervous, I guess I won’t let Iwa-chan meet my dad and my brother at the same time,” he chuckled lightly.

“You _did_ tell him half your family is in law enforcement, right?” Kuroo asked suspiciously.

“I told him my dad and my brother were cops, _yes_ ,” Oikawa said pointedly.

“That’s an understatement if I ever heard one, you bastard. Next time I see him, I’m letting him know he’s going to be dealing with a Chief of Police _and_ a Chief Inspector,” Kuroo chuckled, dodging the hand Oikawa swatted in his direction.

“Don’t you dare!” Oikawa yelled. Kuroo raised an eyebrow challengingly. “ _Fine_ , I’ll tell him,” he conceded, face flushed from a mix of anger and embarrassment.

“You know what, wait, don’t tell him,” Kuroo added, face suddenly serious from his previous grin. “If they were ready to arrest me as your _suspected_ boyfriend, I can’t wait to see what they do when they realize he’s _actually_ your boyfriend. Call me when that happens, okay? I’m going to put that encounter up on the Internet and become famous,” he cackled.

“You’re so annoying,” Oikawa complained. Then added sheepishly, “But you’re right, which is why I only told my mum and made her swear she wouldn’t say anything to my dad or my brother.”

“What about your sister?”

“ _Fuck_ , I forgot. My mum probably told her and oneechan is great and all, but she can’t keep a secret to save her life… holy shit, Iwa-chan is going to be arrested, isn’t he?” Oikawa asked, as if the realization hadn’t dawned on him until that very moment.

“Probably,” Kuroo shrugged unhelpfully. “But, considering they didn’t come down here already, I’d say he’s good for now,” he soothed when Oikawa glared at him accusingly.

“What happened to you being a good, supportive friend? Go back to making the stupid meringue,” Oikawa huffed.

“I thought all you wanted me to do was separate the egg yolks from the egg whites?”

“Yeah, well, now you’ve been demoted to making the meringue too.”

“You don’t know what a meringue is, do you?” Kuroo laughed, pointing at the word on the recipe next to the bowl of egg whites.

“ _Ugh_ ,” Oikawa screeched, turning back to the yakisoba he had been working on before Kuroo interrupted him.

Kuroo laughed loudly at Oikawa’s putout reaction, but he pulled out the hand mixer to whip the egg whites for the meringue anyway. Despite the embarrassment, a happy smile found its way onto Oikawa’s face.

Kuroo may have been an asshole sometimes, but Oikawa was grateful for a friend like him. While they didn’t voice their opinion of one another very often, it was times like these where Oikawa was reminded how important a good friendship really was and thankful that he had managed to find not one, but a few, even while being far from home.

* * *

“That better be you Oikawa, and you better have a good explanation for why you ditched me yesterday,” called Iwaizumi’s voice from the other side of the door.

Oikawa grinned sheepishly when he heard Iwaizumi’s gruff voice but his hands were heavy with bags of food and he was feeling too ecstatic to let Iwaizumi’s annoyance throw him off his good mood. Especially when he _did_ have a good reason for why he didn’t hang out with Iwaizumi last night.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Oikawa yelled, lifting his arms to push the bags in his hands against Iwaizumi’s chest when the other man opened his apartment door.

“Whoa, what’s this?” Iwaizumi asked, looking at the items Oikawa had thrust in front of him warily.

Oikawa’s smile wavered slightly at the confused expression, but Iwaizumi must have deemed that Oikawa didn’t go crazy on gifts when he noticed the plain bags instead of the telltale birthday bags and he chuckled, giving Oikawa the boost of confidence he so needed.

“It’s food, for your birthday, duh,” Oikawa smiled, moving in past Iwaizumi and placing the bags that Iwaizumi hadn’t taken from his hand on the ground. “You haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you? I didn’t want to wake you up too early but I also didn’t want to come by too late in case you had already eaten,” he admitted, chewing his bottom lip nervously.

“I haven’t eaten,” Iwaizumi reassured, pulling at Oikawa’s elbow so that he could face him. He wrapped his arms around Oikawa’s waist to pull him in close. “Thank you,” he acknowledged, placing a soft kiss on Oikawa’s lips then his nose before moving away to pick up the bags that Oikawa had left on the ground to bring them to the kitchen.

Oikawa grinned brightly before padding after his boyfriend. He immediately tucked his hands around Iwaizumi’s waist and nuzzled his head on his shoulder as Iwaizumi took the neatly packed containers out of the bags Oikawa had brought. Oikawa heard the vibration from his chuckle all the way through his body, which just made him tighten his hold around Iwaizumi.

“What are you chuckling about?” he hummed quietly, breathing in the smell of Iwaizumi's scented body wash. It was strong – Oikawa assumed that he had showered only recently, if his slightly damp hair was anything to go by.

“How cutely each container is wrapped,” he smiled. “It’s nice,” he added before Oikawa could get any ideas.

“Actually, that was Kuroo,” Oikawa laughed.

“Huh, who would have guessed?”

Oikawa met his hesitant laugh because if he was being honest, he wouldn’t have pegged Kuroo as someone who was able to make such cute decorations had he not seen the other man do it in front of Oikawa’s eyes.

“Are you trying to feed me for an entire week or something?” Iwaizumi asked once he had taken out everything from the bags and set it on the kitchen counter.

“Nu-uh, I just wanted to make sure Iwa-chan didn’t go hungry on his birthday,” he smiled, moving his head so he could mouth against the skin of Iwaizumi’s neck lightly.

“Well I’d say you managed that and more,” Iwaizumi laughed. “So, what did you want to eat for breakfast?” he asked, pointing to the food he had set out on the counter.

“Hmm, well I was thinking we could have agedashi tofu, since it’s your favourite and all,” Oikawa smiled, moving away from Iwaizumi to pick up the container. “I fried it this morning,” he grinned proudly.

“That’s not exactly a breakfast food,” Iwaizumi responded, trying and failing to hide his amusement.

“But it’s _tofu_ ,” Oikawa insisted, before asking, “You don’t want to eat it?” He frowned, hesitation seeping into his features unwillingly.

“Let’s eat it,” Iwaizumi said quickly, grabbing the tofu with one hand and Oikawa’s hand with the other, effectively cutting off any doubts Oikawa had.

“Wait, wait, let me set the table! You sit down,” Oikawa demanded.

He thought Iwaizumi might argue with him but then he shrugged and sat down at the table, patiently waiting for Oikawa to come back. He did nothing to hide his eyes from gazing unabashedly at Oikawa’s figure, especially when Oikawa was wearing a pair of khaki chino shorts that ended a little too far up his thigh and a white short-sleeved t-shirt with a city skyline in black across his chest.

Iwaizumi could only guess Oikawa had dressed like that on purpose. While he looked _nice_ , he was also incredibly _distracting_.

“Are you staring, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked innocently, stretching his legs out to stand on his tiptoes to reach the plates despite being tall enough to reach them without going to such extents.

“Yes,” Iwaizumi answered unapologetically.

“How rude,” Oikawa complained, but when he closed the cupboards and turned around with the plates in his hands, his face was glowing pink and he was smiling.

“It’s my birthday, I can do what I want,” Iwaizumi responded jokingly.

Oikawa bit his bottom lip to prevent a smile. “I thought you said you didn’t want anything for your birthday,” he challenged.

Iwaizumi grinned lazily in response but didn’t argue Oikawa’s observation, choosing to change the subject instead. “You made all this yourself?” he asked, once Oikawa had set everything out on the table.

“Yeah, but Kuroo helped a little. Who knew that he was actually a good baker?” Oikawa chuckled, remembering the way he had vigorously whipped the egg whites last night to make the meringue, which actually turned out pretty well, if Oikawa was being honest.

“You baked?” Iwaizumi quirked a brow.

“I mean… yeah, kind of, but Kuroo did all the hard parts,” Oikawa blushed, looking away from the thoughtful look that had Oikawa feeling self-conscious. Iwaizumi looked _happy_ and the intensity of it had Oikawa avoiding eye contact.

“Tell him thanks then,” Iwaizumi replied finally, breaking the silence between them. “Come on, let’s eat breakfast first so we can have dessert,” he urged, pointing to the food on the table.

Oikawa perked up at the suggestion and sat down across from Iwaizumi, fussing over Iwaizumi sitting back and letting Oikawa do _all_ the work, including taking the food out for him. Iwaizumi chuckled in response, but he didn’t fight Oikawa’s persistence.

“This tastes really great,” Iwaizumi smiled, meaning the compliment wholeheartedly.

“I’m sure it’s not that good,” Oikawa waved off, face enveloped in a carmine blush.

“It is,” Iwaizumi insisted. “Try some yourself,” he pointed to the tofu in Oikawa’s plate, but before Oikawa had the chance to pick up his chopsticks and do what he was told, there was a piece of tofu held up to his mouth.

“ _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa whined, more from the embarrassment than actual complaint. Iwaizumi smirked at him in response, but his hand didn’t drop. He quirked an eyebrow questioningly, and Oikawa opened his mouth, letting Iwaizumi place the food inside it.

He chewed slowly, unsure why Iwaizumi staring at him so intently was making him nervous, but once the taste of the tofu actually hit his tongue, all his nervousness disappeared. “Wow, this is actually good,” he beamed, amazed by the fact that his cooking had turned out _well_.

“Why are you surprised?” Iwaizumi chuckled, bringing his hand down to pick up another piece of tofu before holding it up for Oikawa again.

“Eat your own portion,” Oikawa chided, but he was smiling behind the remark. “I’m a great catch, aren’t I?” he beamed proudly, picking up his own pair of chopsticks and happily placing the food on his plate in his mouth.

He hadn’t expected Iwaizumi to respond to his comment, but he was greeted with, “You are,” said so sincerely that Oikawa nearly choked on his breakfast. The action only made Iwaizumi laugh, but his eyes were shining with affection all the same.

“ _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa complained again, but he didn’t mean it. He never did when the teasing was always laced with warmth.

The rest of breakfast went by smoothly, and once they were done, Oikawa pulled out the box with the cheesecake and set it on the table for Iwaizumi to cut. He picked out a candle and a lighter from one of the many bags he had brought, before urging Iwaizumi to make a wish.

“What’d you wish for?” he asked cheekily, handing a knife to Iwaizumi to cut the cake.

“Can’t tell you,” Iwaizumi answered seriously.

“Why not?” Oikawa pouted, before his face lit up. “Oh, I bet it was something dirty,” he cooed. “It was, wasn’t it? You’re blushing so it must be true,” he laughed lightly, poking his finger into Iwaizumi’s red cheek.

“I hope you realize I’m holding a knife,” Iwaizumi said flatly.

“You wouldn’t kill me,” Oikawa said confidently. “Then we can’t play out whatever you wished for,” he added mischievously, taking a step back from Iwaizumi as he said so, ducking his head down in laughter.

“You’re terrible,” Iwaizumi blushed, shaking his head, face pulled down into a half-hearted frown. It wasn’t long before his composure broke and he was grinning back at Oikawa, his laughter and good mood contagious.

Oikawa grinned in response, opening his mouth to say something, but his remark was cut short by three swift knocks to the door. “Were you expecting someone?” Oikawa tilted his head curiously.

Iwaizumi shook his head. “No. Someone probably got the wrong apartment. I’ll be right back,” he promised, leaving Oikawa in the small dining room, heading around to the front door to check who it was. As far as Iwaizumi knew, he didn’t have any plans for the day besides spending it with Oikawa, which was fine by him.

“Yo,” came two simultaneous greetings, when Iwaizumi opened his front door to reveal Hanamaki and Matsukawa, his high school friends whom he hadn’t seen since March.

“What are you doing here?” Iwaizumi asked, too shocked to really register their greeting.

“Is that any way to treat your best friends?” Hanamaki chided, sliding in past Iwaizumi. Matsukawa followed, tutting his head in disapproval, leaning down to take off his shoes.

“Happy birthday, man.” Matsukawa pulled Iwaizumi’s arm into a half hug.

“Happy birthday,” Hanamaki echoed, repeating Matsukawa’s greeting.

Iwaizumi was still dazed – he hadn’t made plans to see his friends, not plans he could remember at any rate. He was grateful that his friends had travelled from Osaka to come see him, but that didn’t stop Iwaizumi from gaping at their presence slightly open-mouthed.

“Wow, not even a thanks. I told you he had forgotten us,” Hanamaki sighed dramatically, clutching Matsukawa’s arm for support.

Iwaizumi closed his mouth, snapping back to reality. Before he could respond properly, Oikawa’s voice rang out from the dining room.

“Iwa-chan, what’s taking so long? Let’s eat the cake! _Ooh_ , better yet, how about you eat cake _off_ – _oh_ , hello,” Oikawa blushed, coming around the corner and seeing that Iwaizumi wasn’t alone. He wasn’t the only one who was red to the tips of their ears, however. Iwaizumi was sporting an equally embarrassed and red face, which only served to make Hanamaki and Matsukawa guffaw in laughter.

“Holy shit, I guess you’re acting like _this_ because we’re interrupting,” Matsukawa laughed, clutching the wall for support as Hanamaki hung off his other shoulder.

Oikawa didn’t think it was that funny. Iwaizumi didn’t think so either. His friends however, were having the time of their lives laughing their asses off at Iwaizumi’s obvious embarrassment.

“Give me one reason not to kick you out right now,” Iwaizumi growled, after two minutes of nonstop laughter.

“Sorry,” Hanamaki apologized sheepishly through a few hiccups. He wiped a tear from his face. “Are we actually interrupting? Because we’ll leave if we are,” he said seriously.

“You’re not,” Iwaizumi confirmed, face set into a firm frown. He moved aside to let Hanamaki and Matsukawa into the living room despite his annoyance.

“I’m lost,” Oikawa said quietly, bringing Iwaizumi’s attention back to his boyfriend. Iwaizumi waved him over closer to them. Oikawa shuffled awkwardly towards where Iwaizumi stood with two people he vaguely recognized.

Iwaizumi wrapped an arm around Oikawa's waist, hoping to appease him a little for involuntarily throwing him into an awkward situation. “Oikawa, meet Hanamaki and Matsukawa,” he pointed at them in turn. “Hanamaki, Matsukawa, meet Oikawa,” he added.

Oikawa’s face lit up. Oh, so these were Iwaizumi’s high school friends! He remembered hearing their names, and seeing their faces in some of Iwaizumi’s photos online, which seemed like a very long time ago now, considering he didn’t have a need to pine over Iwaizumi's pictures when he had the real deal.

“Ah, the elusive boyfriend,” Matsukawa sighed.

“Iwa-chan talks about me? No fair, he doesn’t even tell me much about his life,” Oikawa pouted.

“ _Iwa-chan_?” Hanamaki asked, eyebrows raised high on his forehead.

“ _Shut up, Makki,_ ” Iwaizumi groaned, punching his friend in the arm. Not hard enough to hurt, but definitely had enough to serve as a warning.

“Oh, this is fantastic,” Matsukawa grinned, moving in to plop down on the couch. Hanamaki followed suite, sitting down next to Matsukawa, while Iwaizumi grabbed the armchair.

“Are you visiting Iwa-chan for his birthday?” Oikawa beamed, moving towards the empty space next to Hanamaki – he was pulled suddenly onto Iwaizumi’s lap, causing an embarrassing squeak to come out of his mouth.

Oikawa turned around to glare at his boyfriend who shrugged nonchalantly, before placing an arm around Oikawa’s middle, his back coming to settle against Iwaizumi’s chest. His other hand was set atop Oikawa’s thigh, laced in his own hand.

“Yeah, but we didn’t know you had plans,” Hanamaki apologized sheepishly, eyeing the way Iwaizumi held Oikawa protectively, as if daring him and Matsukawa to say something stupid.

“That’s okay, we didn’t really have any plans. Iwa-chan’s a grump and doesn’t even want to celebrate his birthday so we were just going to go to the park,” Oikawa smiled.

They were sort of plans, which everyone in the room recognized, but Oikawa wasn’t going to let friends who were visiting Iwaizumi all the way from Osaka excuse themselves when Oikawa got to see Iwaizumi all the time.

“Don’t we know it. This one time in second year we tried to throw him a surprise party and Makki was supposed to stand at the door to turn the lights on when Iwaizumi walked in, but he ended up getting a black eye because Iwaizumi thought we were breaking into his house or something. The party was cancelled because we had to take Makki to the hospital since he ended up hitting his head against the wall when Iwaizumi punched him,” Matsukawa laughed.

“What a brute,” Oikawa chuckled, shivering slightly when Iwaizumi huffed a breath against his neck.

“That was an _accident_ ,” Iwaizumi insisted. “Besides, that was around the time when we had that series of burglaries happening around town so what else was I supposed to think?” he frowned.

Hanamaki and Matsukawa ignored him completely. Oikawa chuckled at the reaction, smoothing his thumb over Iwaizumi's hand in an attempt to placate him.

“Yeah, and then in third year, we got him this really awesome gift – it was a new pair of volleyball shoes and they were so expensive but the entire team chipped in for them and you know what he did? Threw them into the lake on our way home,” Hanamaki added, clucking his tongue disapprovingly.

“I didn’t _throw_ them, you asshole,” Iwaizumi growled. “My hands were sweaty from practice and they slipped out of my grip when _you_ shoved me and I tried to regain my balance so I wouldn’t fall into the lake instead,” he corrected.

“Details, details,” Hanamaki waved off, ignoring the glaring look from Iwaizumi.

“Oh, this is so fun,” Oikawa trilled, wiggling happily in Iwaizumi’s lap. “Tell me more. I want to know all of Iwa-chan’s secrets,” he grinned, eyes sparkling happily.

“Well let me tell you something Oikawa, you’ve definitely come to the right people,” Hanamaki egged on.

Iwaizumi groaned as Oikawa laughed happily, urging Hanamaki and Matsukawa to continue their stories, which they didn’t need much prompting to do, anyway. Iwaizumi gave a resigned sigh before burying his face against Oikawa’s back, closing his eyes as he waited for the onslaught of embarrassment to set in.

Oikawa hummed happily at the contact, eyes focused on Iwaizumi’s friends. They didn’t really have concrete plans for the day considering Iwaizumi didn’t want to actually _do_ much besides spend the day with him, but Oikawa was sort of glad they didn’t plan the entirety of the day out.

This was nicer than going to Kansenen park; when else was Oikawa going to get the chance to spend time with people that would let him know Iwaizumi better?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it might seem like Oikawa is regressing in their relationship, but he's not - i assure you. he's just nervous now bc Iwaizumi is opening up and Oikawa now knows things he knows other people don't, which is important and just the next step in their relationship bc it's _serious_ c:
> 
> next time:  
> \- volleyball, karaoke, and too much PDA  
> \- what's a good friend if his goal in life isn't to embarrass you eternally?
> 
> thanks for reading! please leave me a comment or kudos to let me know what you thought ♡


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact #1: i just recently had a blog that posts only pics of biceps follow me and i'm just here like "is this a callout???" 
> 
> fun fact #2: this was originally going to be the last chapter before the epilogue and then i decided i'd add a summer break arc bc fuck it, i'm going to take this excuse to write all the fluffy iwaoi feels so 12 more chapters to go!

It was oddly easy talking to Hanamaki and Matsukawa, Oikawa decided. They were huge teases, but they were funny and Oikawa didn’t even mind when they picked up on playfully teasing him too. He joined in on the banter, and once Iwaizumi had loosened up from all his embarrassment, he participated as well.

It was nice how effortlessly Hanamaki and Matsukawa led conversation. They didn’t even bat an eye at the mild show of affection between Oikawa and Iwaizumi, which Oikawa thought might have been awkward considering Oikawa had _just_ met them, but they were so relaxed about it that Oikawa felt no reason to fear he and Iwaizumi were being overbearing.

The best part about having them there though was the fact that they were more than happy to share stories about Iwaizumi, which Iwaizumi wasn’t so keen on telling Oikawa himself. Not that he was trying to _hide_ anything. He just had a lot of embarrassing stories, and he preferred not to share them. His friend however, held no qualms about throwing Iwaizumi under the bus.

Oikawa learned that they were both going to school in Osaka and rooming together. It wasn’t an easy train ride, but the thought that Iwaizumi had such good friends that they would travel this far to visit him on his birthday made Oikawa’s heart swell with pride. It only confirmed what he already knew: Iwaizumi was one amazing guy. And Oikawa was lucky that Iwaizumi had somehow chosen to like him back.

Halfway through the endless story telling, Oikawa remembered that they still hadn’t eaten cake yet and he got up to bring some slices for everyone. Iwaizumi insisted that since it was _his_ apartment, he should be the one hosting, but Oikawa countered that since it was Iwaizumi’s _birthday_ , Oikawa should be doing the work.

They bantered for a few minutes until Matsukawa got up to get the dessert himself.

“This is pretty good,” Matsukawa complimented, tasting the cheesecake.

“Yeah, did you make it?” Hanamaki asked, already three-quarters done with his slice.

Oikawa beamed at the response. “Mostly, but I had Kuroo make the meringue because I can’t separate egg whites from egg yolks for shit,” he chuckled nervously, before realizing that he was throwing names out there like Hanamaki and Matsukawa actually knew who he was talking about. “He’s my roommate,” he explained.

“Tall, unruly black hair and a grin that could kill?” Hanamaki quirked a brow.

“Er, yeah?” Oikawa asked, confused. Had they met Kuroo before?

“Ooh, the one Iwaizumi was jealous of, nice,” Matsukawa whistled. “What are the odds that he’d be helping your boyfriend make _you_ a birthday cake?”

“ _What_? Iwa-chan was jealous?” Oikawa asked, tilting his head back to get a better look at Iwaizumi’s face. He was pleased to see that it was glowing pink. The sight made Oikawa grin, which only served to make Iwaizumi’s frown deepen.

“I wasn’t jealous,” he denied.

“You were,” Matsukawa and Hanamaki replied in unison.

It would have been odd how in sync they were had Oikawa not known that the two had practically been friends since they were babies.

“Oh?” Oikawa asked innocently. “Why have I never heard of this before?”

“Because it didn’t happen,” Iwaizumi argued stubbornly.

“Iwa-chan, it’s okay to be jealous. I’m kind of great after all,” he beamed, shuffling sideways to place a quick peck to Iwaizumi’s cheek.

“Shut up, Shittykawa. If I remember correctly, you were the one who was stalking my pictures before we even started dating,” he reminded.

“Don’t be mean to me in front of your friends,” Oikawa pouted. “He’s just putting on a show for you,” Oikawa said, turning his head back to their guests. “You know, he’s actually very sweet when we’re alone. He’ll even– mmph.” Iwaizumi clamped his palm over Oikawa’s mouth to prevent him from saying anything else that would incriminate him further.

“Aw, no fun, you ruined it,” Hanamaki pouted, to which Oikawa nodded enthusiastically.

“You’re fucking terrible, all of you,” Iwaizumi shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me on my birthday,” he added as an afterthought.

He wasn’t really all that chuffed about the teasing – it was friendly and harmless after all. But the way Oikawa’s face fell and he scrambled to wrap his arms around Iwaizumi in apology was worth it.

“Makki, I want you to bake me a cake for my birthday,” Matsukawa announced abruptly, ignoring Iwaizumi and Oikawa's show of affection like the other two weren’t even there.

“What the hell, Mattsun? My birthday is before yours. I want you to bake _me_ a cake.”

Oikawa looked away from Iwaizumi to the pair with amusement, before turning his attention back to Iwaizumi.

“Did you like the cake?” he asked hesitantly. “I know you’re not really a fan of sweets but I thought since a traditional cheesecake isn’t _that_ sweet, you wouldn’t mind.”

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said seriously. “I loved it. Thank you,” he smiled, leaning in to place a kiss to Oikawa’s lips.

The kiss tasted sweet, and not all of it had to do with the meringue that was still lingering on Oikawa’s lips. Iwaizumi almost forgot there were other people in the room until he heard throats clearing loudly.

“Do you want us to leave?” Matsukawa raised his eyebrows.

Iwaizumi flushed, but shook his head. Of course he didn’t want his friends to leave. They had travelled far to see him, so how could he want that? But he also wanted to be able to kiss Oikawa into oblivion without being interrupted every five seconds for fuck’s sake.

Oikawa was surprisingly laidback about their day together having been interrupted. “How long are you guys here for?” Oikawa asked.

“Until tomorrow afternoon. We’ve got to catch the train back at 4 pm,” Hanamaki answered. “We’re sleeping here, by the way,” he added. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at his friend’s candour. Not that he thought they’d be sleeping anywhere else.

“Ooh, we should go out, celebrate or something,” Oikawa grinned, turning his face to Iwaizumi in permission. “It doesn’t have to be for your birthday,” Oikawa said hurriedly. “We could just be celebrating your friends coming to Tokyo.”

“Okay,” Iwaizumi nodded. “What do you want to do?”

Oikawa looked towards Hanamaki and Matsukawa who shrugged, indicating that they were fine with whatever. Oikawa tilted his head thoughtfully before an idea came to mind. “Let’s play volleyball!” he suggested, grinning brightly.

“You wanna play volleyball?” Iwaizumi asked, lips curved up in amusement.

“Yes,” Oikawa nodded. “I want to set for you,” he insisted. “The gym is free today. I can get Bokuto to let us in. You guys play, right?” Oikawa asked, turning towards Hanamaki and Matsukawa. They nodded their heads in approval. “Great! What do you say, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked hopefully.

“I haven’t played in a long time…” he trailed off. “But I want to hit your tosses,” he smiled, making Oikawa grin, eyes crinkled in delight.

“I’m going to call Bokuto, you guys get ready!” he ordered, jumping off of Iwaizumi’s lap and moving towards the kitchen for some privacy.

In the end, one call to Bokuto had earned the rest of Oikawa’s friends an invite to the gym as well. They were two players short of a full game but Oikawa was pleased with the turn out all the same. It seemed like Iwaizumi was in bright spirits to be playing volleyball again too, which only served to widen the smile on Oikawa’s face.

Hanamaki, Matsukawa, and Daichi were busy setting up the nets while Akaashi and Kenma were bringing out the bins and practice pins. The rest of the group lingered around the gym, stretching in preparation, and taking turns to set everything up.

“I call Iwa-chan on my team!” Oikawa yelled, gathering everyone’s attention. They all moved in towards the centre of the gym, on one side of the net to divide themselves up.

“Who made you captain?” Kuroo asked.

“Well, it was my idea to even have this game,” Oikawa rolled his eyes. “Who invited _you_?” he shot back.

“I say Iwaizumi gets to be the other team captain since it’s his birthday,” Bokuto added.

“But I already called him on my team,” Oikawa glared, before turning around to face his boyfriend. “Okay, Iwa-chan, you can be captain. But you have to pick me first,” he nodded, giving his position up.

“And if I don’t?” he asked cheekily.

“Then no sex for a week,” Oikawa responded easily, making the room erupt in laughter.

“Hmm, I have a hand,” Iwaizumi responded, amidst the embarrassment.

“Fine, then we’re breaking up,” Oikawa threatened futilely, face pulled down into a practiced frown.

“Okay,” Iwaizumi answered, much to Oikawa’s chagrin.

His friends and Iwaizumi’s friends seemed to be having the time of their lives though, because while Oikawa’s face fell, their grins only widened. There was a part of Oikawa that knew Iwaizumi was joking – after all, Oikawa had been the one to broach that joke in the first place – but it still made him feel antsy to see how easily Iwaizumi had agreed.

“Hey, you know I was joking, right?” Iwaizumi asked, realizing that the pout on Oikawa’s face wasn’t entirely for show. He moved towards him and pulled his face up, holding Oikawa’s chin between his thumb and forefinger. Oikawa nodded, feeling the lump in his throat start to melt away. “I’m sorry, baby,” Iwaizumi apologized quietly, pressing his lips against Oikawa’s in a soft kiss.

“You know what, please stay on the same team,” Kuroo cut in. “I don’t think I can deal with you making faces at one another across the court,” he gagged.

Oikawa stuck his tongue out at Kuroo in reply, but he was much happier than he had been a few moments ago.

The teams ended up being split pretty evenly. Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Matsukawa, Hanamaki, and Suga were on one team, with Kuroo, Bokuto, Daichi, Akaashi, and Kenma on the other. Oikawa always loved volleyball and playing with his friends was something he enjoyed more than anything else. But something about being able to toss to Iwaizumi made the game so much better.

It made him wonder what it would have been like if he and Iwaizumi had gotten to play in high school. Maybe it was the fact that they were slowly spending more and more time with one another, or maybe he was just biased, but Oikawa couldn’t help but think that syncing with Iwaizumi was so much easier than everyone else.

Iwaizumi was better than he let on as well. Oikawa had been surprised by the revelation but the shock didn’t last long before pure excitement seeped in. He tried to be fair and toss to the others as much as he tossed to Iwaizumi when it was his turn to set, but he would have been lying if he said that ended up being true.

Everyone noticed, everyone commented, but no one was really upset enough to change anything about the way Oikawa tossed to Iwaizumi an unfair number of times. Especially when Suga tried his best to change that when he and Oikawa switched positions.

Oikawa was too thrilled to be able to play with Iwaizumi to let anything like that bother him anyway. He was more than lucky to have found out that Iwaizumi liked volleyball, no _played_ volleyball.

It felt unfair that Oikawa was _this_ happy when it was Iwaizumi’s birthday, considering the game felt more like a present for _him_ rather than his boyfriend – but Iwaizumi seemed to be enjoying himself. He was grinning and patting his teammates on their backs, looking completely at ease.

And when he got too hot and lifted his shirt to wipe the excess sweat from his face, Oikawa was _definitely_ happy that he had suggested they play a game in the first place.

“Why do you look so surprised?” Iwaizumi asked embarrassedly, shoving Oikawa away lightly when he whistled at Iwaizumi’s exposed chest.

“I’m not surprised. I’m just appreciating how hot you are,” Oikawa corrected loudly, earning him a volleyball to the face. He was in too good of a mood to let that bring him down – or stop him from calling out further compliments to Iwaizumi’s physique.

By the time everyone was heaving and far too sweaty to be considered acceptable, they had played four full sets, both teams winning two each.

“One more!” Bokuto demanded. “We can’t let the game end like this!” he insisted.

“Man, I’m too tired to continue,” Daichi panted, leaning a hand against Bokuto’s shoulder. “Not all of us practice continuously like you do,” he reminded.

Bokuto pouted, searching the room for anyone who would agree with his suggestion – but he was met with headshakes. “You’re no fun,” he sulked.

“You travel for games, right?” Matsukawa asked, ducking under the net to be on Bokuto’s side of the court.

Bokuto nodded his head in approval. “Next time you’re in Osaka, give Makki and I a call. We’ll take you out sightseeing,” he suggested, lifting Bokuto’s mood significantly.

“Huh, looks like Bokuto’s predictability is catching on,” Suga whispered in Oikawa’s ear, giggling a little at the sight of Bokuto’s enthusiastic face, as he practically tore across the court to retrieve his phone so that he could exchange numbers with Matsukawa.

“Crisis averted though,” Oikawa chuckled.

“Are you guys busy this evening?” Iwaizumi asked suddenly, ripping Oikawa’s attention away from Suga and towards his very sweaty, very attractive boyfriend.

“I’m free,” Kuroo confirmed. “Kenma is too,” he added, causing Kenma to roll his eyes at being spoken for.

“Daichi and I are free as well,” Suga smiled.

“Are we making plans? Oh, don’t leave me out!” Bokuto jumped back into the circle. Akaashi nodded his head in confirmation as well.

Iwaizumi cleared his throat awkwardly. “Do you guys want to get dinner or something? Nothing fancy, but I thought since we’re already out…” he trailed off.

“You don’t need a reason to want to celebrate your birthday,” Daichi chuckled, patting Iwaizumi’s shoulder firmly. “How about we shower off, go home and change, then meet up wherever you want to have dinner,” he suggested.

That plan seemed to be the most logical, so they nodded their agreements and headed off to change and meet again.

* * *

“I’m not complaining,” Oikawa started off carefully. “But I thought you didn’t want to celebrate your birthday. Isn’t that why you didn’t want to go to that charity banquet thing obasan wanted you to tonight?” he asked, sifting through his closet for a change of clothes.

Iwaizumi had showered and changed so fast that by the time he came to pick Oikawa back up, Oikawa had only managed to just finish showering. He blamed it on the fact that he shared an apartment with Kuroo and they only had one bathroom while Iwaizumi had an apartment all to himself, but the excuse wasn’t even valid considering he had been allowed to shower first.

Iwaizumi lifted his head slightly from Oikawa’s bed, which he was lying half across. His legs dangled off the edge, while his back was flat against the mattress, making him look very comfortable. Oikawa almost wished he could crawl in next to him and just lie there, but he knew that if he did that, he would have a much harder time walking away.

“I guess,” he shrugged. “It was mostly because I didn’t think it was _right_ to accept an award for my dad on my birthday,” he shrugged half-heartedly, leaning his head back down across the navy sheets. He tossed one of Oikawa’s many alien plushies in the air before catching it in his hands absentmindedly.

“You don’t think it’s kind of mean?” Oikawa frowned, pulling off his sweatpants and changing into a pair of dark blue jeans.

“What is?”

“That you told obasan ‘no’ but then you’re making plans of your own?”

Oikawa wasn’t sure why he was even asking him that, _today_ of all days. He just wanted to know what Iwaizumi was thinking considering he hadn’t really explained himself Thursday when they first discussed not going to the banquet.

“Do you think it is?” Iwaizumi questioned, dropping the plushies on the side and leaning up on one elbow to stare at Oikawa pointedly.

“No, I guess,” Oikawa shrugged indifferently. “I just wanted to know why _you_ were so against _that_. I get to spend the day with you either way, so I honestly don’t care what you want to do,” he emphasized.

“It’s weird,” Iwaizumi answered after a few moments of silence. Oikawa pulled his black button down over his torso before cocking his head in Iwaizumi’s direction.

“What’s weird?” Oikawa pressed, sweeping his hair aside further. He sat on his bed next to Iwaizumi who was also sitting up now.

“I feel like I ran away, you know? And it’s totally my decision if I want to restart my life somewhere, I get that, but it’s weird because I’ve basically grown up with all these people around me and I just… left. First of all, I don’t think _I_ should be accepting the award for my dad and secondly, how do I explain to people that their empathy was becoming overbearing and pissing me off?”

Well, that was profoundly honest and not at all what Oikawa had been expecting. “You didn’t run away,” he answered softly.

Iwaizumi scoffed in response. “Then why do I fee like I have to explain myself?”

“You don’t,” Oikawa stated bluntly. “You just have a big guilty conscience for no reason,” he smiled. “I feel like you should tell your mum this though, so that she doesn’t think you’re blowing her off.”

“I already called her this morning, and then again when I went home to change,” Iwaizumi reassured. “Sorry if I was snappy… it’s just that she asked me the same thing as you did,” he sighed, pulling an arm around Oikawa’s shoulder in apology.

Oikawa blinked owlishly, before a small smile lifted his features. “You’re cute when you’re grumpy, you know that?” he asked, nuzzling his face into the crook of Iwaizumi’s neck. “And you smell good too,” he added, stifling his laugh against Iwaizumi’s shoulder when he felt his face heat up.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Iwaizumi asked incredulously.

“Am I not allowed to compliment my boyfriend?” he asked with a half-smirk.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi warned, nudging him slightly.

“Hmm, what? I wasn’t lying, you know,” he repeated seriously, which made Iwaizumi’s face fall into a deeper frown. “See, _cute_ ,” he chuckled, placing a kiss on Iwaizumi’s lips to rid him of his sulky expression.

“You’re so annoying,” Iwaizumi said pulling away, but he pulled Oikawa in for another kiss as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

“You wanna ditch dinner?” Oikawa asked cheekily, letting his fingers slip beneath Iwaizumi’s light blue button down, unhitching a portion of it that was tucked into his black jeans.

“And get yelled at by Suga? No thanks,” he chuckled.

Oikawa couldn’t help but agree that out of everyone, Suga was the most likely to hold it over their heads if they cancelled dinner plans to stay home with one another, even though out every couple Oikawa knew, Suga and Daichi were disgustingly cute enough to do the very same. Oikawa didn’t have time to think of a protest though because Kuroo knocked on the door twice before coming in.

“How are you still not ready?” he asked half-amusedly, shaking his head at the way Oikawa was hanging off of Iwaizumi’s shoulders.

“I’m _ready_ ,” Oikawa insisted.

“Your hair,” Kuroo reminded, reminding Oikawa that it was still sort of damp from his shower and not yet styles.

“Ah, that’s your fault! The hairdryer is in the bathroom.”

“I’ve been out for the past ten minutes,” Kuroo rolled his eyes.

Iwaizumi chuckled at the banter, which just made Oikawa’s frown deepen. “Iwa-chan, don’t encourage him!” he scolded.

“Yeah, yeah, go do your hair,” he nudged Oikawa off him before standing up himself.

Oikawa grumbled half-heartedly before trudging off to the bathroom to fix his damp hair. His hair was getting a little long, which Iwaizumi had mentioned to Oikawa a few days ago but the way he said it was more in admiration than a jab and so Oikawa decided that he could forego a haircut for a few more days at least.

He checked his reflection in the mirror once his hair was dry, tongue sticking out of his mouth slightly in concentration. Before he could convince himself otherwise, Oikawa picked up a hair tie from the vanity and scrunched his hair back into a small ponytail. From the front, with his bangs the same length as they usually were, there wasn’t much of a difference but if he turned to the side, he thought he looked pretty cute.

His opinion was only validated when he walked out to greet Iwaizumi and Kuroo who were waiting for him at the front door and Iwaizumi did a double take upon seeing Oikawa bend down to put on his shoes.

“You changed your hair?” he asked carefully.

“Don’t like it?” Oikawa asked teasingly, despite knowing that if the rising blush was anything to go by then Iwaizumi certainly _did_ like his new look.

“No, you look good,” he answered stiffly. His practiced answers were most likely due to Kuroo’s presence but Oikawa had been friends with Kuroo long enough to forego any qualms about making the other man feel uncomfortable. Not that he thought he _could_ anymore, with the amount of things he and Kuroo had gone through.

“This makes it easier to pull on during sex, doesn’t it?” he asked cheekily, slipping on his black loafers before walking out the door.

He could hear Kuroo’s annoyed groans behind him. Oikawa chuckled at the response, until he felt a pair of hands jerk him down into a headlock.

“Ow, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa pouted.

“There are other times I like pulling your hair too,” he muttered in Oikawa’s ear, half-embarrassedly, half-seriously, which made Oikawa’s face light up. The words along with the fact that Oikawa was in Iwaizumi’s grip turned him on uncomfortably so. If Kuroo wasn’t there, Oikawa would have jumped his boyfriend for sure.

Apparently, he wasn’t very discreet at hiding his thoughts because Kuroo tutted his head in disapproval. “That’s it, you’re banned from coming back here tonight,” he stated, coming out and locking the door behind him.

“But Iwa-chan’s friends are staying at his place,” Oikawa complained.

“Then go torture them with your loud sex,” Kuroo rolled his eyes. “You know it’s bad when I know exactly how close you are to coming depending on the pitch and volume of your voice,” he shuddered.

“That’s so weird, what the fuck, Kuroo?” Oikawa gaped, shoving Kuroo slightly as they moved to walk down the stairs.

“Just goes to show how fucking _loud_ you are. Or maybe it’s because we’ve been rooming together for three years now,” he chuckled, making Oikawa’s mouth fall open even further.

“Oh yeah?” Iwaizumi asked, cutting in between their banter. “Just how long did it take you to figure all this out?” he asked Kuroo, expression somewhere between contemplation and amusement.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa scolded. The threat went ignored.

“Oh you know, not very long, considering Oikawa brought someone home _every_ week,” Kuroo chuckled, falling into step next to Iwaizumi.

The sidewalk wasn’t large enough for three people so Oikawa was forced behind. He pouted at being left out, but even more so at Kuroo implying to Iwaizumi that he used to _sleep around_ , which wasn’t true.

Not that it mattered even if he _was_ , but Kuroo was exaggerating just to get a rise out of him. And it was working, if his increasingly red face, that wasn’t entirely from embarrassment, was anything to go by.

“I see that I’m dealing with an expert here,” Iwaizumi mused, making Kuroo chuckle and Oikawa scowl.

“You could _definitely_ say that,” Kuroo added, much to Oikawa’s chagrin. They looked like they were joking but Oikawa couldn’t be sure.

Before Iwaizumi, Oikawa hadn’t even been in a relationship for eight months. So yeah, maybe he had a few dates every once in a while, but nothing serious since his last boyfriend had turned out to be a cheating asshole though, which was why he decided to forego the idea of dating for a while. Until Iwaizumi showed up in his life, anyway.

So what if Oikawa was a first year, fresh out of high school with too much freedom? Wasn’t that what university was for, anyway? He didn’t know why he felt the need to defend himself _to himself_ , but he felt like the only way he could convince Iwaizumi that he didn’t do anything wrong was if he believed himself first.

Not that Iwaizumi had any right to pry into Oikawa’s life when he wasn’t even there… but it didn’t seem like he was all too annoyed or even upset with Kuroo’s statement. When he turned around to look at Oikawa who was trudging a few paces behind them, there was only amusement written on his face.

“You know that I don’t care what you did before we met, right?” he asked lightly, stopping his movement until he could fall into step with Oikawa instead.

“Hmph,” Oikawa huffed in annoyance.

“You’re cute when you sulk,” Iwaizumi said suddenly, repeating Oikawa's own words from earlier. He wrapped his hand in Oikawa’s before tugging lightly to bring Oikawa’s lips to his own.

“I hate both of you,” Kuroo said, breaking Oikawa out of his daze.

“Why? Jealous my boyfriend is better than you ever could be?” he challenged.

“Did you two actually _date_?” Iwaizumi asked, face pulled down into a frown, memories of Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s teasing from earlier taking over his thoughts.

“Nah,” Kuroo answered easily. “Everyone just thought we did so sometimes we’d play along, especially at parties so people we didn’t like would stay away from us. It worked out pretty well. There were other perks too, like half-price movies for couples at that one theatre in Shibuya,” Kuroo smirked.

“Don’t tell him that,” Oikawa chided. “It makes us sound like terrible people.”

“I already know what a terrible person you are, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi huffed a laugh. “And I still like you just fine the way you are,” he added, placating Oikawa’s putout expression.

“I repeat, I hate both of you,” Kuroo rolled his eyes.

“You have your own boyfriend! Go be cute with him,” Oikawa pointed out.

“He’s not here though,” Kuroo argued stubbornly.

Oikawa chuckled but didn’t fight it. He tugged at Iwaizumi’s hand, pulling the other man closer to him as they made their way to the train station.

He was glad that their day of spending time with one another had turned into a day out with all their friends. Iwaizumi deserved more than just a volleyball game and dinner with his friends for his birthday, but for someone who was so adamantly against celebrating the day to begin with, Oikawa figured he could call it a success.

Despite the fact that Iwaizumi was still sort of closed off, even around Oikawa, he was starting to open up more and Oikawa found himself feeling more comfortable around the other man every day as well.

He was warm, and kind, and caring, but at the same time he didn’t hold back from telling Oikawa off when Oikawa was being stubbornly childish.

And when he turned his head to steal glances at his boyfriend throughout dinner that evening, he was happy to see his beautiful, smiling face – cheeks caved in from laughing so hard, and the sight was enough to put a permanent smile on Oikawa’s face too. They had only been dating for two months, but Oikawa found himself falling harder for Iwaizumi every second – it scared him a little, but it also excited him more than he could have imagined.

Especially when he caught Iwaizumi stealing glances at him too, and it made him wonder if Iwaizumi was falling for him in the same way.

* * *

Dinner had turned into dinner and karaoke, which Iwaizumi was surprisingly not against. He wasn’t a very good singer, and singing in public was sort of humiliating for him, but he still found himself tugged up to the centre of the room by Oikawa.

He was weak to deny his boyfriend anything he wanted, especially when his face was flushed from the alcohol as much as it was from excitement, and his eye were blown full and wide, sparkling even in the dim purple lighting of the karaoke bar. He had been smiling a large grin that stretched across his cheeks and made his flushed cheekbones so temptingly kissable.

He had looked so happy and sincere so with that look, along with the calls of _‘Yeah, Iwaizumi, we want to hear you sing!’_ from his friends, Iwaizumi had no choice but to comply. Even with his horribly off-tune singing, Iwaizumi found himself having fun.

The best surprise of the night however was when Bokuto put on a fast paced rap song and handed the mic to Oikawa, who took it happily.

Iwaizumi hadn’t been expecting much, but when Oikawa started to rap along in what sounded like very fast Japanese that was slightly slurred from the alcohol Oikawa had drank, only to have Kuroo and Bokuto join in with him near the end, Iwaizumi couldn’t tear his eyes away from his boyfriend.

“How’d you know how to do that?” he asked, more than slightly impressed with the fast, on-tune singing.

He could make out only half of the words since he had been more focused on staring at Oikawa instead of reading the lyrics on the screen, but it didn’t even matter because Oikawa seemed to know what he was doing and Iwaizumi would have been lying if he said he didn’t think it was more than just a little hot.

Who knew that Oikawa Tooru could _rap_ of all things? It was unexpected, and yet at the same time, it was entirely fitting.

“I’m a man of many talents, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa chuckled, leaning back against the couch, flopping his head into Iwaizumi’s chest.

Oikawa wasn’t the only with a talent for music, it seemed. Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly, Daichi was easily the best singer out of all of them. With his deep, soothing voice, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but stare in awe at the other man when he sang a ballad to Suga.

“Wow, Dai-chan, you haven’t lost your touch, I see,” Oikawa giggled from beside Iwaizumi as Suga squealed and latched himself onto his boyfriend.

Bokuto grabbed the mic from Daichi at that point, claiming he wasn’t allowed to sing anymore because he was upstaging them all.

Even Hanamaki and Matsukawa seemed like they were having fun, despite not having met any of Iwaizumi’s new friends until today. They were always good at getting to know people, something that Iwaizumi himself wasn’t so great at, which was why he was still slightly shocked that he had managed to make a life for himself in Tokyo so _easily_.

The only person who took more than a little coaxing to sing was Kenma, who was buried in his computer, which he brought with him everywhere. He claimed that animation design was too time consuming of a major, but everyone just knew how dedicated he was to his program, and how much he hated to sing.

Still, they managed to get him to sing one song, albeit quietly, before he handed the mic off to Akaashi and returned to his computer.

They ended the night with an off-chorus round of _‘happy birthday’_ to Iwaizumi, which he didn’t think he could enjoy as much as he had.

By the time Iwaizumi and Oikawa got back to his apartment, it was nearing 1 am and Oikawa was already half-asleep on Iwaizumi’s shoulder as the other man helped him in.

“Where’d Makki and Mattsun go?” Oikawa mumbled sleepily, only coming to the realization that Iwaizumi’s friends weren’t with them anymore.

Iwaizumi chuckled at his dazedness. “They left when we parted outside the karaoke bar when you wouldn’t stop kissing me,” he reminded.

It was more than just the _kissing_ that had Hanamaki and Matsukawa saying their goodbyes, and claiming that they were better off at a hotel for the night. Iwaizumi had felt bad that he had inadvertently kicked his friends out of his apartment, but with Oikawa’s hands slipping noticeably under Iwaizumi’s shirt and his mouth refusing to budge from Iwaizumi’s neck, he hadn’t really been thinking straight.

It didn’t seem like his friends minded at any rate, if the _‘Have a fun night ;)’_ text he got from Matsukawa was anything to go by.

Oikawa’s vigour had worn off on the train ride home though, at which point he had taken to resting his forehead against Iwaizumi’s shoulder and using it as a pillow.

“Oh,” Oikawa frowned. “Was it because of me? I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“Don’t be,” Iwaizumi responded immediately. “I like waking up to you way more.”

Oikawa blushed at the honesty but his frown was instantly replaced with a hesitant smile. “You know, I had full intentions of blowing you when we got home but I’m so tired, I feel like I’m going to pass out any moment now.” As if to prove his point, Oikawa’s body was overcome with a yawn.

Iwaizumi chuckled at the comment, face melting into a soft smile. “Let’s go to bed,” he insisted, pulling Oikawa along into the bedroom where he threw him a pair of Oikawa's own pajama pants and t-shirt that had somehow found its way into Iwaizumi's clothes.

He left Oikawa to change while he tidied up the kitchen since it was still a mess from before Hanamaki and Matsukawa arrived. “Here, drink some water,” Iwaizumi offered a glass when he came back into the room.

“Thanks Iwa-chan,” Oikawa smiled, accepting the drink. “Where are you going again?” he asked, when Iwaizumi lifted the glass off the nightstand where Oikawa had placed it and walked back towards the door.

“Just going to drop this off in the sink. I’ll be right back,” he promised.

Oikawa hummed, lying down against the pillow and tucking himself into the blankets. When Iwaizumi got back into the room, Oikawa was already fast asleep, one hand tucked under his head while the other was splayed in the space between him and where Iwaizumi would have been were he already in bed.

He looked so peaceful lying on his side, legs curled up slightly towards his stomach that Iwaizumi couldn’t help himself from walking over and kissing his cheek lightly. He brushed some of his bangs away from his face before undoing the hair tie that Oikawa had fallen asleep with, watching the way his soft, brown hair splayed across his pillow.

Oikawa was painfully beautiful, and when he was fast asleep without any of his pretences or defenses holding him up, he looked so innocent, that Iwaizumi wanted nothing more than to be by his side. Oikawa didn’t _need_ protecting – he was strong enough to take care of himself, but that didn’t mean that Iwaizumi didn’t want to be there anyway.

He gulped, realizing that the thought had just passed through his mind but before he had the chance to scrutinize what that meant, his phone buzzed. He felt Oikawa stir at the sound, but thankfully he didn’t wake up. Iwaizumi quickly turned his phone on silent before checking his messages, wondering who could be texting him so late at night.

**From okaasan:**  
Are you still up?

**To okaasan:**  
Yes

**From okaasan:**  
Is Tooru-kun there?

**To okaasan:**  
He is, but he’s sleeping

**From okaasan:**  
Come open the door for me then. I don’t want to knock and wake him up.

Iwaizumi frowned, but didn’t question it. He moved towards the living room, opening the front door to reveal his mum who seemed like she had come straight from the banquet to his apartment, given the fact that she was still dressed in a deep blue evening gown, long diamond earrings brushing against her neck when she smiled.

“Late night?” she asked, gesturing to Iwaizumi who was still wearing the clothes he had worn out.

“I could ask you the same,” he chuckled. “I got home about ten minutes ago,” he elaborated.

“Hmm, sounds like you had fun,” she smiled.

“I did,” he confirmed, feeling slightly guilty for ditching the banquet. It didn’t seem like his mum was annoyed with him though because her smile widened upon hearing that he had enjoyed his night.

“I’m glad,” she insisted. “The banquet was _boring_ at any rate so you were much better off with your friends,” she chuckled. “Speaking of, did Takahiro-kun and Issei-kun come by?”

“You knew about that?”

“How else do you think they knew where you lived? I couldn’t ruin the surprise, Hajime,” she scolded teasingly.

“They came to dinner as well. They seemed to have fun,” he recalled. “Thanks by the way, for getting them to come here,” he said knowingly.

“Why do you think I had anything to do with that?” Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Fair enough,” she agreed. “Anyway, my flight leaves in a few hours and I know it’s not your birthday anymore but I wanted to see you and tell you in person, so happy birthday, Hajime,” she smiled, leaning in to wrap Iwaizumi in a hug.

“Thanks, okaasan,” he smiled, returning the hug wholeheartedly. “Do you want me to make something to drink while you’re here?” he asked pulling back.

“No, that’s okay. You should sleep, and I should get back to my hotel and pack up. Oh but there _is_ something else I came here for,” she added, pulling up a bag off the ground and handing it to Iwaizumi.

“What’s this? You know I didn’t want a birthday present,” he reminded with a hard stare.

“It’s not a birthday present, geez, just look at it,” she rolled her eyes, waving the plain, brown paper bag in front of him.

Iwaizumi took it gingerly, peaking inside. What he found made his heart stop a little. It was a plaque with his dad’s name on it – the one he was asked to receive that night.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Because I can’t think of a better person to look after it. You and your dad were close, and you’re so much like him. This plaque was to award his contribution and I know that he wouldn’t want anyone but you to have it,” she insisted.

Iwaizumi swallowed the lump in his throat, mouth suddenly dry and incapable of handling anymore talking. He wanted to argue that it should go in their, his _dad’s_ home, back in Hokkaido but his mum was stubborn and to be honest, Iwaizumi liked having this reminder of him around. So he nodded and accepted the plaque, putting it back in the bag it had come in.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, sleep finally washing over him.

“You’re welcome,” his mum smiled gently, pressing a kiss to his cheek before turning around. “Come visit home in your break, and bring Tooru-kun with you if you’d like,” she offered.

Iwaizumi blushed but nodded, agreeing to see what he could do. He locked the door behind his mum, picked up the bag and padded back into his bedroom where Oikawa was still fast asleep. He placed the wooden plaque on his dresser, next to the photo of him and Oikawa under the cherry blossoms from their first date that Oikawa insisted he keep in his room, and the sketch of Oikawa that Akaashi had told him to ask Oikawa for because Oikawa was too embarrassed to offer it to Iwaizumi without any prompting.

It looked nice, next to the frame, and Iwaizumi was once again reminded of how important Oikawa really was to him.

The thought should have scared him a little, but all it did was bring a happy smile to his face as he tucked himself into the bed and shifted to take Oikawa’s hand in his own.

Tokyo was nice. _Oikawa_ was nice.

Out of all the places he could have chosen to restart his life, he was glad that it was here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact #3: i'm actually a really good rapper lmao but no one expects it bc i look "innocent" but i have another friend who is in the same boat as me and alas, rapper!Tooru is born *sweats* 
> 
> inspiration for Oikawa's hair comes from **[this fanart](http://pussycat-scribbles.tumblr.com/post/160921154516/college-oikawa-with-longer-hair-just-because-i-can)** by @pussycat-scribbles on Tumblr. i fell in love with the idea the first time i saw it and bam, this is what happened lol 
> 
> next time:  
> \- belated birthday present x2  
> \- i ~~love~~ like you ?  <\-- lmao i feel like such a bitch for this one
> 
> please leave me a comment or kudos if you liked! comments feed my muse ;; ♡


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to those of you who asked if the birthday present x2 meant a blowjob well then... you're not wrong *sweats* but besides a steamy start to the chapter, this whole thing is so much fluff i hope i don't chase you away lmao

On Sunday, Oikawa woke up with a godawful headache. It made him want to clutch his head and squeeze his eyes shut in an attempt to lessen the pain, but upon noticing that he was tucked into Iwaizumi’s chest, one of his boyfriend’s arms wrapped securely around his hip while the other was spread loosely across the top of his pillow, Oikawa couldn’t help but let out a content hum.

Did having a perfect boyfriend count as a hangover remedy? Because with the way his mood instantly lifted, Oikawa was completely inclined to believe that it did.

One look at the clock on the nightstand told Oikawa that it was 10 am, which wasn’t exactly _early_ but considering they had come home well after midnight, he decided he would let Iwaizumi sleep in. What he really wanted to do was wake Iwaizumi up, because lying awake in bed with Iwa-chan wasn’t any fun if his boyfriend wasn’t even paying him any attention, but Oikawa figured he could deal with his boredom just this once.

So he took to closing his eyes and nuzzling his face further into Iwaizumi’s bare chest, which he was finding increasingly difficult to keep his hands and mouth away from.

In the end, Oikawa didn’t do a very good job of letting Iwaizumi stay asleep when he couldn’t help but wiggle out of his hold and place soft kisses across Iwaizumi’s torso until he reached his tented boxers, that Oikawa was more than happy to take care of.

“Fucking go back to sleep,” Iwaizumi muttered sleepily, but he carded his hands through Oikawa’s hair affectionately, as Oikawa placed himself between Iwaizumi’s legs.

“Do you really want me to do that?” Oikawa questioned innocently, tracing his hands over the bulge – that earned him a grunt and a twitch from his boyfriend, which made Oikawa grin.

“I hate you,” was Iwaizumi's only response.

“No you don’t,” Oikawa sing-songed.

“Hnngh,” Iwaizumi responded noncommittally.

Oikawa frowned at the lack of enthusiasm. He traced his hands over Iwaizumi’s boxers again quickly before replacing the touch with his mouth. He huffed hot air over the tent, noticing the increased swell of Iwaizumi’s cock with pleasure.

He pressed a few quick kisses right below Iwaizumi’s navel before laving his tongue over the black material where the bulge was ever growing. It didn’t take very long until Oikawa was moaning against Iwaizumi’s still clothed dick, mixing his saliva with Iwaizumi’s precum until a noticeably wet patch appeared, as Iwaizumi bucked up into his mouth shamelessly.

It was then that Oikawa pulled away and tucked himself back into Iwaizumi’s chest, curling up into a comfortable ball against his boyfriend.

Iwaizumi cracked open an eye, looking entirely unamused with Oikawa’s antics. “What are you doing?”

“Going back to sleep like you wanted me to,” Oikawa answered innocently.

“Are you serious right now?” Iwaizumi asked, voice strained.

Oikawa smiled at him, eyes closed to ward off the glare that Iwaizumi was more than likely throwing in his direction. “I’m a good person, Iwa-chan. I do what I’m told,” he said seriously.

“Oikawa,” he said slowly.

“What? Did you change your mind? Do you _not_ want me to go back to sleep?” he pressed, opening his eyes to notice the way Iwaizumi’s eyebrows were crinkled in frustration. “Ask me nicely,” he said knowingly, trying his best to remain passive.

Iwaizumi grunted in annoyance but Oikawa didn’t budge. He looked like he was having an internal battle, and the sight made Oikawa giggle, which he quickly stifled at the scowl that made its way onto Iwaizumi’s face.

“Please suck my dick,” he said eventually, making Oikawa slant his head in shock. He had been expecting Iwaizumi to put up a fight, but he was more than happy to oblige.

He grinned wickedly, placing a quick kiss to Iwaizumi’s lips before taking his place between his boyfriend’s legs again. He didn’t tease by mouthing over his boxers like he had done only a few minutes before. If only because Iwaizumi was fully erect now and Oikawa didn’t want to waste any time in getting Iwaizumi off.

Once Oikawa had pulled the offending article down Iwaizumi’s legs, he wrapped his hand around Iwaizumi’s erect cock, stroking it in his palm a few times teasingly, before lowering his mouth to it. Oikawa sucked at the tip experimentally, licking away a bead of precum, eyes glued to Iwaizumi’s own, before slowly taking more of him in.

His tongue darted around the head as he caved his cheeks in to suck rough suction down Iwaizumi’s length. Iwaizumi hummed in pleasure above him, hands finding a firm grip in Oikawa’s hair. It turned Oikawa on more than it should have to feel Iwaizumi’s large hands tugging at his scalp. It felt rough and so _good_ , and he increased his pace to match the feeling of Iwaizumi’s hands in his hair, pulling him forward with every thrust.

“Fuck, Tooru, just like that,” Iwaizumi urged, as Oikawa sucked with vigour.

He hummed around Iwaizumi’s length absentmindedly, the sound of his given name boosting his drive. The feeling made Iwaizumi tighten his grip in Oikawa’s hair, accidentally pulling him forward all the way on his dick. Oikawa felt the tip of Iwaizumi’s cock hit the back of his throat and he swallowed suddenly around the head a few times, breathing deeply through his nose to avoid gagging on it.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Iwaizumi apologized but his voice was strained, and Oikawa would be lying if he said it didn’t turn him on even more. Knowing how good his boyfriend felt because of Oikawa had him moaning against his dick, sending a string of vibrations up the length.

Iwaizumi’s soft, whispered praises of how _good_ he felt, how much he _loved_ the warmth of Oikawa's mouth around him, contrasted with his rough hands. The way Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa down further over his cock until Oikawa could feel Iwaizumi hit the back of his throat with every thrust had him hard and leaking as well.

He carefully slid his own pajama pants and boxers over his ass, wrapping his hand around himself. His strokes were becoming increasingly erratic, and he couldn’t do anything about it – not when Iwaizumi was bucking up into his throat, meeting every bob of Oikawa’s head with a thrust of his own. Not that Oikawa even _wanted_ to do anything about it.

He could feel his cock start to throb, leaking precum obscenely over his hand. Oikawa was so close to coming, but he wanted to get Iwaizumi off first – damn him and his stamina. So, Oikawa removed his slippery hand from around himself and brought it to Iwaizumi’s balls, cupping them lightly in his palm, letting his fingers massage them gently as his mouth still worked itself around his dick.

The action had Iwaizumi’s hips thrusting up harder into Oikawa, until he was choking back tears. Within moments, he was choking back tears for a completely different reason as Iwaizumi spilled down his throat, in his mouth, across his lips, which Oikawa kept securely around Iwaizumi, giving him his silent consent to stay _right there_ through his release.

He pulled off when Iwaizumi was licked clean and brought his hand back to himself, stroking eagerly until he found his release as well. When he was done, Oikawa wasn’t given a chance to react before Iwaizumi reached forward and pulled Oikawa flush against his chest, wrapping his hands around Oikawa’s back firmly. Naked and sated, Oikawa sighed into the touch.

“You’re so hot,” Iwaizumi muttered breathily, nosing into Oikawa’s hair affectionately.

Oikawa blushed but didn’t fight the comment. He hummed, turning his face to the side to hide some of the redness that had spread across his cheeks. It didn’t seem like Iwaizumi was keen on calling him out though; he was too busy tracing the pads of his fingers that he had slipped under Oikawa's shirt across his back, making nonsense patterns.

“We’re both sticky,” Oikawa reminded after a while, coming down from his high and hitting the realization that they should probably clean off.

“Way to state the obvious, dumbass,” Iwaizumi chided, pulling one hand away from Oikawa's back to run his thumb along Oikawa’s red, rubbed raw lips.

“Is that any way to talk to your boyfriend who just gave you the best blowjob of your life?”

“Who said that was the best?” Iwaizumi quirked a brow challengingly.

“ _What_? There was better? Let’s go again! I can’t have someone else outdo me for Iwa-chan’s affections,” Oikawa pouted, moving back to get off Iwaizumi.

Even he wasn’t sure if he was being serious or not, but he didn’t have the chance to figure out what he was going to do because Iwaizumi’s hold on his back tightened and he was pulled against his boyfriend’s chest once more.

Oikawa gazed up over his chest at him, pout still in place, because he _hated_ not being number one, no matter what it was they were talking about.

“Relax, I was joking,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “And no one can outdo you for my affections,” he added, shrugging nonchalantly. But he blushed slightly and the sight made Oikawa squeal in delight.

“I knew I was the best,” he said smugly. “Tell me I’m the best, Iwa-chan,” he blinked his eyes up at Iwaizumi innocently.

“You’re the best,” Iwaizumi replied after a few beats of silence, making Oikawa’s face light up in glee. The sincerity in his voice was what took Oikawa the most by surprise, but he was oh so grateful for it all the same.

“Nu-uh,” Oikawa shook his head. “Iwa-chan’s the best,” he smiled, watching Iwaizumi’s face turn an adorable shade of red.

“You’re so frustrating,” Iwaizumi groaned, but he placed a soft kiss atop Oikawa’s head all the same. “Now can we go back to sleep?” he asked.

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa chuckled breathily.

They were both nude, and sweaty and objectively gross, but Oikawa didn’t care. Lying on top of Iwaizumi’s chest, being able to feel his heart beat against his own, seeing the way Iwaizumi’s face lit up when Oikawa propped his chin up against Iwaizumi’s chest to gaze at him made Oikawa’s heart swell wider than any clean bed ever could have.

It was disgustingly sappy, but all that mattered was that he liked Iwaizumi and Iwaizumi liked _him_.

* * *

Oikawa was in an irreplaceably good mood all week, following Iwaizumi’s birthday. Not only did he get to spend an _entire_ weekend with Iwaizumi, but he had a party the following weekend to look forward to as well.

His week went by quickly, even with the business fair presentations that were looming. He sort of had a team ready, which should have made him nervous because _sort of_ wasn’t good enough for him, but he didn’t particularly care when he was high off spending so much time with Iwaizumi.

Oikawa was becoming attached and a tad bit clingy, which he _knew_ he was doing, but Iwaizumi wasn’t pushing him away. In fact, he seemed to welcome Oikawa’s affection and that just spurred Oikawa on further.

“Oikawa-san, are you listening?” Yachi asked, breaking Oikawa out of his daze.

“Sorry, Yacchan, what did you say?” he asked, shooting her a sheepish smile in apology.

“That’s okay,” she smiled brightly. With her blonde hair and sparkling personality, she was basically sunshine personified. Oikawa wasn’t sure how someone could be so _pure_ , but it was kind of cute, in an entirely little sister sort of way. “I was wondering if you could teach me latte art,” she asked hesitantly.

Oikawa perked up at the question. “Of course!” he beamed, moving towards the espresso machine to get a drink ready for them to practice on.

“ _Now_?”

“Do you have a better time?” he teased, making Yachi blush.

She shook her head in denial, so Oikawa continued. It was a Saturday afternoon and _Coffee King_ wasn’t exactly brimming with new customers. Most people were either asleep or had already taken their seats throughout the establishment, caffeine-fix in one hand and assignment in the other. With the second half of the semester in full swing, the masses had either figured out their studying schedules by now or were still hopelessly procrastinating.

“Anything specific you want to learn?” he asked, setting the milk aside to let it steam.

“Just the basics,” she smiled.

Oikawa nodded, making idle conversation with her until the milk was ready to be used. There was another barista in the store, who usually kept to herself, which was fine by Oikawa so long as she didn’t complain about the way he ran things, which she didn’t. He let her handle the few customers who came in while he taught Yachi all that he knew.

Although he was good at it, Oikawa wasn’t the best at latte art, and everyone knew that, which was why he was surprised that Yachi had asked _him_ instead of Bokuto the reigning champion of fancy designs, or even Suga who had been charming customers with his art before Bokuto got hired. It was kind of funny, albeit cute to see them compete with one another.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you wanted something from me,” Oikawa cooed, leaning his elbow against the counter as he watched Yachi try to pour the steamed milk from the pitcher for the second time. Her hands shook at Oikawa’s brazen statement, making the design flop around the cup until it melted into a blob.

“Oh, I ruined it again,” she pouted, face pulled down in sad frown.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have been distracting you,” Oikawa apologized, wiping the milk that had spilled on the counter with a cloth. “You do want something though, don’t you?” he asked knowingly.

“Are you mad?” Yachi asked hesitantly.

Oikawa chuckled at the response. “Of course not,” he answered, putting away any doubts that were lingering in her mind. “If anything I’m a little proud that you’ve learned how to sweet-talk people. Quite a quick learner, Yacchan,” he complimented, patting her head affectionately.

“Don’t do that,” she frowned, but with her small stature it only made her look more like a kid. The pout made Oikawa laugh and Yachi’s expression sour.

“Sorry,” he apologized, sobering up since he didn’t want to actually hurt her feelings. “What can I do for you?” he smiled, bringing a new cup of coffee and steamed milk in front of her to try. Oikawa figured they could hand the ruined ones off to some of the students later.

Yachi hesitated for a few seconds before bringing her head up to look Oikawa in the eyes. “You know that girl that came to see you a few days ago? Black hair, glasses, small mole by her chin,” Yachi listed off.

“Yes, she’s my new group mate,” Oikawa smiled.

He had been wanting to get Shimizu on his team since first year, but she always denied Oikawa and ended up working with Ushijima instead. She was smart as hell, and Oikawa often had to fight her for the number two spot in their classes. This year however, it seemed like luck was on his side. He didn’t care what had happened between Shimizu and Ushijima but suddenly, she had agreed to Oikawa’s constant proposals.

“What’s her name?”

“Shimizu Kiyoko,” Oikawa answered, before a thought struck him. “Why? Do you have a crush on her or something?” he teased.

“ _Maybe_ ,” Yachi defended, face heating up.

“Oh my god, _seriously_? I was just joking, but okay, yeah, she’s really pretty isn’t she?” Oikawa mused, making Yachi flush harder.

“Do you like her too?” Yachi asked, slightly flustered.

Oikawa laughed, shaking his head at the question. “I have a boyfriend, remember?”

“I’m sorry!” Yachi apologized, turning redder by the second. “Forget it, I shouldn’t have asked you anything. She’s too pretty for me,” Yachi sighed.

“What are you talking about? You’re plenty pretty, Yacchan. Plus you’re cute as hell,” Oikawa smiled, ruffling her hair again. She replaced her sullen expression with a pout at having been treated like a child. Oikawa was quick to retract his hand before she bit him, which he would never have thought was possible coming from Yachi until that very moment.

“I was being serious,” he added. “You want me to say something for you? I’m a great wingman,” Oikawa grinned. Much better than Bokuto at least, Oikawa thought, remembering how he had tried and failed to help Oikawa with Iwaizumi.

Yachi chewed her bottom lip for a few seconds, seemingly in thought before she nodded. “Yes, okay,” she agreed. “But don’t be obvious. I don’t want her to think I like her or something,” she hesitated.

“But you _do_ like her,” Oikawa reminded, chuckling. “How about I suggest we meet here the next time my group needs to decide on something together. Then you can blow her away with your fantastic latte art,” he beamed.

“But Oikawa-san, my latte art sucks,” she said unhelpfully.

“it’s only been two tries. Come on, let’s practice again before the milk gets cold. Hold the pitcher higher and keep your hand steady,” he urged.

Most of the afternoon passed by with Oikawa trying to teach Yachi the basics of latte art, which wasn’t a bad way to spend the day in Oikawa’s opinion. While the store got busier later on in the day, he let the younger girl practice in the back, opting to take the new customers in her place instead.

Despite the fact that Yachi’s hair was sticking to her forehead clumsily, she had a bright flush across her cheeks that showed her enthusiasm for her accomplishment, by the end of the day.

There were a number of wasted drinks… but business was doing well enough that they could afford to lose a few. Oikawa had drank a couple of cups, to prevent it all from going to waste so by the end of his shift, he was a little too hyper and just a tad bit too jittery. Although he was still nothing compared to Yachi, who seemed to be in a constantly chipper state since she had started practicing latte art that afternoon.

“Look what I made, Oikawa-san!” she beamed, thrusting a cup in his hands.

Oikawa peered down and grinned when he noticed a nice, white flower in the middle of the steaming cup of espresso.

“Nice!” he grinned, holding his hand out for a high-five. Yachi jumped up on her tiptoes to reach it before swinging her arms out to envelop Oikawa in a hug. Oikawa was taken aback by the sudden gesture but he put the cup that he still had in his hands to the side before returning the hug. She was so short, it reminded Oikawa of hugging his nephew.

The bell above the coffee shop chimed and Oikawa instinctively turned his head towards the door to see who it was. His face split into a grin when he noticed Iwaizumi walk in with a short wave and a broad smile on his face.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa called out enthusiastically, moving one arm away from Yachi’s shoulder to wave him over.

“Oh, Iwaizumi-san, hello,” Yachi squeaked, taking too many steps away from Oikawa to be considered normal. “Oikawa-san was just teaching me how to do latte art – he’s really good at it – I’m sorry for hugging him – I should do that right? Please don’t be mad at me,” she apologized, lowering her head sadly.

Oikawa snorted at the display, which earned him a flick to the forehead from Iwaizumi. “Oi, don’t be an insensitive ass,” he chided. Yachi looked like she thought Iwaizumi was speaking to her, and she instantly took a few more steps to the side, away from the pair.

“Yacchan, come back. Iwa-chan doesn’t care,” Oikawa explained.

“Of course I don’t,” Iwaizumi promised. “As long as you’re not trying to steal my boyfriend,” he added. It was supposed to be a joke, but Yachi didn’t seem to take it as one and she squeaked again, eyes going wide.

Oikawa couldn’t help but full out laugh this time, but he quickly sobered up when it looked like Yachi might actually cry.

“I was just joking, I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi cut in, jabbing Oikawa’s side to get him to apologize too.

“Sorry for laughing, Yacchan,” he said seriously.

“That’s okay,” she nodded. “I’m going to go steam some milk for practice again. Do you want to try one of my lattes, Iwaizumi-san?” she asked. Iwaizumi nodded and she smiled before skipping off.

“You’re so mean,” Iwaizumi tutted, shaking his head at Oikawa. He leaned his weight on his elbows, which he promptly propped up on the counter.

“And yet, you’re the one she seems to be afraid of,” Oikawa reminded, leaning his face in closer until he could see every fleck of brown and green in Iwaizumi’s eyes. Usually when Oikawa got too close in public, Iwaizumi would take a step back, but this time he kept Oikawa’s gaze, which ended up making Oikawa blush from the intensity of it.

“Hmm, I wonder why though,” Iwaizumi mused, brushing his nose against Oikawa’s softly.

“I’m telling you, it’s your muscles. They’re so big and intimidating. She probably thinks you’ll beat her up if she says something wrong,” Oikawa giggled.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at the exaggeration before an idea struck him. “Well if that’s the case, maybe I’ll just stop working out so much,” he shrugged idly.

“What? _No_ , you can’t do that,” Oikawa all but shouted, leaning back to frown.

“Why not?” Iwaizumi asked innocently.

“You know _why_ ,” Oikawa said pointedly, heating rising to his cheeks.

Iwaizumi chuckled in response, face breaking out into a grin. Oikawa took the opportunity to wrap his hands around the collar of Iwaizumi’s shirt before tugging him in to place two swift kisses to his cheeks, right where his dimples appeared.

“Don’t avoid the question,” Iwaizumi grumbled, face burning up.

“ _Fine_ , I like staring at your arms, okay? _Happy_?” he cried.

He wasn’t sure why he was getting embarrassed admitting something like that now, when he had no qualms about telling Iwaizumi every other time. Maybe it was the public setting, or maybe it was the way he felt the other barista roll her eyes at Oikawa as she passed by him to go to the back.

“Just my arms?” Iwaizumi smirked.

“Don’t push your luck, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa scolded, eyes bright and shining despite the embarrassment written all over his face.

“You’re so shallow,” Iwaizumi joked, chuckling at the way Oikawa’s jaw dropped open.

“ _Me_?” he squawked. “What about you? Don’t try to deny you like my pretty face,” he challenged, smiling when he noticed Iwaizumi visibly flustered. He scoffed though, which made Oikawa open his mouth and deepen his voice in an attempt to match Iwaizumi’s. “ _Oh Oikawa, you’re so pretty I ran away from you on our first date._ ”

“I didn’t say that,” Iwaizumi frowned.

“ _Oikawa, you’re so beautiful I lose myself in your eyes_.”

“I _definitely_ didn’t say that.”

Oikawa grinned wickedly, ignoring the wary look on Iwaizumi’s face.

“ _Tooru, you look so pretty wrapped around my cock_.”

“For fuck’s sake, Oikawa, not _here_ ,” Iwaizumi groaned, clamping his hand around Oikawa’s mouth to prevent him from incriminating him further. Oikawa licked the inside of Iwaizumi’s palm, which the other man quickly retracted, wiping it across Oikawa’s apron with a deadpan look.

“Are you two done with your gross flirting?” an amused voice cut off anything that either Iwaizumi or Oikawa were going to say in response to what had just happened between them.

“Akaashi, what are you doing here?” Oikawa cocked his head.

“I was asked to retrieve you so you made it to Suga and Daichi’s on time,” he smirked.

“So what you’re telling me is that you’re babysitting us?” Oikawa asked blankly.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Akaashi agreed. “Well, just you, actually,” he grinned.

Oikawa groaned, but didn’t fight it. He checked the time to make sure his shift really was up before he head off to say his goodbye to Yachi, who was working her first closing shift of the year.

When he had changed out of his work clothes and into his regular ones, Oikawa returned to the front, where Akaashi and Iwaizumi were talking to one another with a small cup of coffee in their hands.

“Looking good, Yacchan,” he greeted, noticing her handiwork in their cups. She smiled back proudly in response, before waving them off.

“So I heard your experiment kind of blew up,” Akaashi stated conversationally once they were outside.

“What happened?” Oikawa asked worriedly, if only because Iwaizumi had been working with Daichi and Kuroo in his apartment. Oikawa already had to deal with enough of Kuroo’s impromptu explosions. Even if he wasn’t at home, he didn’t need an experiment gone awry to _come home to_.

“That was a bad choice of words,” Akaashi corrected, noticing the distressed look on Oikawa’s face.

“Don’t worry, nothing blew up,” Iwaizumi confirmed. “Bokuto showed up and kind of broke the wings off the drone,” he chuckled, reminiscing at the memory.

“Is your project okay?” Oikawa asked worriedly.

“It’s fine, Daichi had an extra pair of wings at his apartment so he said he could solder them on later. It’s not like we’ll be working on it much this weekend anyway,” Iwaizumi assured. “How’d you know about that though?” he asked Akaashi.

“Bokuto called me panicking because he thought you all hated him,” Akaashi explained with a small laugh. “I told him that if you were really angry, Daichi would have probably beaten his head against the door so he had nothing to worry about.”

“That’s true,” Oikawa mused. “Remember that time last year when we went out for his birthday and some guy followed Suga around the bar all night, even with Dai-chan right next to him the entire time?” he chuckled at the memory.

“What happened?” Iwaizumi prompted.

“We got banned from ever going to that place again,” Akaashi deadpanned. “Daichi smashed the guy’s face against the table at the end of the night. To be fair, he _had_ been drinking quite a bit at that point and the asshole was pushing his luck.”

“Holy shit, I would never have guessed. He’s so… _gentle_ ,” Iwaizumi laughed, wondering just how pissed Daichi must have been to do something so rash.

“Told you he was scary,” Oikawa tinkered. “Anyway, don’t mention this to him. Ever. Unless you want to see him drunk off his ass, because every time this story is mentioned he drowns the memory out with alcohol,” Oikawa mused. “Something about tarnishing his reputation,” he added, biting his bottom lip to suppress his loud laughter.

Iwaizumi chuckled but nodded, keeping the piece of advice in mind.

* * *

If there was one thing that Oikawa had learned from three years of friendship with Suga, it was that he knew how to throw a party. He came off as so innocent and angelic, but he was definitely a devil on the inside, which he liked to show off every time there was alcohol involved.

This time, it was no different. In fact, it was a bit better considering the party was in celebration of his _and_ Iwaizumi’s birthdays, which apparently Suga considered to be the perfect reason to have _double_ the usual fun.

Not that Oikawa was complaining.

Not that _anyone_ was complaining.

Even Iwaizumi, who liked to keep his alcohol intake in check every time they were drinking was cutting loose – the way he kept his hand firmly on Oikawa’s thigh the entire night was more than enough to prove that.

But it seemed like out of everyone, Bokuto was having the most amount of fun. Half way through the night, he had shed his shirt and was currently trying to convince Akaashi to take a shot off his stomach, who firmly denied wanting to take part in anything that had to do with that.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi mumbled, face pressed up against his cheek.

“Hmm,” Oikawa responded absentmindedly, trying to peek over the makeshift battleship board Kuroo had made from one of the empty pizza boxes.

They were using it to play battle _shots_ and Oikawa wasn’t doing very well. He had only one ship left, while Kuroo still had two. He was losing – and if there was one thing Oikawa hated more than anything, it was _losing_ , which was why he was ignoring Iwaizumi’s touches, when under any other circumstance he would have been revelling in them.

“Hey, don’t cheat, asshole!” Kuroo huffed. Even _he_ was feeling tipsy, which was quite the feat considering his liver of steel.

“I’m not cheating – _oh_ , _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa scolded when he felt Iwaizumi’s tongue dart across the shell of his ear. He needed to _focus_ , dammit.

Iwaizumi ignored the warning, choosing to bite his lobe between his teeth instead, making Oikawa’s hands momentarily stutter.

“F-6,” Kuroo said, promptly ignoring Iwaizumi and Oikawa.

“Fuck,” Oikawa huffed, noticing that Kuroo had just made a dent in his last ship. He picked up the shot glass and downed half of it, but he couldn’t get the rest down his throat so he passed it off to Iwaizumi, who took it for him instead.

“ _Yes_ , I am so going to win!” Kuroo fist-pumped. “F-5,” he called, making Oikawa groan again and hand the shot straight off to Iwaizumi instead of even attempting to down it. If he had any more alcohol, not only was he going to wake up with a terrible headache, but also he was going to throw up. Maybe all those caffeinated drinks back at _Coffee King_ hadn’t been such a good idea right before drinking.

Although his reminiscent thoughts about his terrible life decisions were forgotten as soon as he felt Iwaizumi’s lips against his ears again, this time whispering something that caused Oikawa’s whole body to wrack in shivers. “ _Tooru_.”

He still wasn’t used to Iwaizumi calling him by his given name and if the way his body was reacting was anything to go by, Oikawa wasn’t sure he _ever_ would.

“That’s two times in a row now,” Kuroo grinned wickedly. “You’re stuck cleaning the kitchen _and_ the bathroom for two weeks,” he whooped happily.

“That’s not fair,” Oikawa complained. “Iwa-chan was distracting me,” he argued.

“Don’t be a sore loser,” Kuroo smiled.

Oikawa huffed in annoyance but didn’t argue it. He watched Kuroo take his remaining shots with ease, slightly jealous of the fact that he could hold his alcohol better than almost anyone Oikawa knew.

“Don’t think I’m going to forget this bet,” Kuroo said in greeting before walking off to presumably challenge someone else to his dumb games. Oikawa wasn’t sure why he even agreed to them in the first place – he always lost to Kuroo.

“You made me lose,” Oikawa accused Iwaizumi, who chortled in response.

“You’re just bad at that game,” Iwaizumi defended, moving his hand higher up over Oikawa’s thigh, until it was sitting snugly near his crotch.

“I’m _not_ ,” Oikawa pouted, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. He shrugged Iwaizumi’s hand off him in defiance, but that only made Iwaizumi smile lazily in response, which deepened Oikawa’s frown.

“Come on, you’ve had a little too much to drink, let’s go home,” Iwaizumi placated, tugging Oikawa’s hand in his own.

“Home huh? Whose home?” Oikawa questioned innocently. They hadn’t explicitly stated that they’d be staying the night at one or the other’s apartment, but lately, they had been doing that a lot without talking about it first.

Not that Oikawa minded. He liked spending the night with Iwaizumi, especially because that meant he got to wake up to him too. It was a lot easier to convince Iwaizumi to pay attention to him when he was already there, rather than try to convince him to take a break from his homework to spend time with Oikawa.

“Don’t care. I just want to fuck you,” Iwaizumi whispered, closing his eyes in a smile that was too innocent for the words that had just come out of his mouth.

“First you make me lose my game, now you don’t care about anything but my body,” Oikawa sniffed, jutting his lip out in protest.

“That’s not true,” Iwaizumi frowned immediately. He opened his mouth to explain himself but Oikawa cut him off.

“I was just teasing you,” he chuckled. “You’re so easy to get riled up,” he mused, pressing his lips against Iwaizumi’s in a kiss that was anything but chaste.

Iwaizumi didn’t seem to care though; he opened his mouth immediately to meet Oikawa’s tongue with his own, sucking against it lightly. When Oikawa tried to pull away for breath, Iwaizumi bit down against his bottom lip, making Oikawa squeal.

“Iwa-chan!” he scolded.

“Let’s go home, Tooru,” he said knowingly, making Oikawa forget anything else.

Oikawa nodded his consent. They got up off the floor and moved to say goodbye to their friends, who dramatically made a big deal about them leaving so early. It was almost 2 am, which wasn’t exactly early but ever since Iwaizumi mentioned leaving, Oikawa had been feeling increasingly sleepier.

“Don’t come home!” Oikawa yelled to Kuroo right before he grabbed Iwaizumi’s hand and tugged him out the door. He giggled at Kuroo’s cries of protest, which went promptly ignored as the front door closed behind him.

“You know, we could have just gone to my place. You didn’t have to kick him out,” Iwaizumi reminded, taking Oikawa’s hand in his own.

“Yeah, but I’m on cleaning duty for the next two weeks,” Oikawa defended childishly.

“Admit it, you just hate losing,” Iwaizumi chuckled.

“So what if I hate losing,” Oikawa confessed, face pulled down in annoyance.

“I like it,” Iwaizumi said suddenly, making Oikawa’s steps falter.

“What?” he asked in confusion, as if he _hadn’t_ just heard what Iwaizumi just said.

“I like it,” Iwaizumi said again. “I like how competitive you are. I first noticed it last week when we were playing volleyball but you get this glint in your eyes when you’re competing against someone and it’s fucking sexy,” he admitted, pulling Oikawa’s lips against his own in a crushing kiss.

“Ooh, does it turn you on?” Oikawa teased.

“Maybe it does,” Iwaizumi shrugged indifferently. Oikawa’s face lit up at the answer.

“We should play volleyball more often then,” Oikawa suggested innocently.

Iwaizumi scoffed in response, but he didn’t turn the idea down, so Oikawa took that as a win. He hummed, tightening his grip in Iwaizumi’s hand.

They walked in a silence that was fitting for the atmosphere. It was peaceful outside – the weather was warm, the sky was clear, and even amidst the many lights that surrounded the horizon in Tokyo, there were a few stars that Oikawa could spot. It was nothing like back home, and certainly nothing like Yamanakako, but it reminded Oikawa of that time all the same.

“So, you think I’m sexy, huh?” Oikawa smiled, breaking silence between them as they neared his apartment complex.

“I just told you I do,” Iwaizumi said gruffly.

Oikawa bumped his shoulder against Iwaizumi’s in apology. “Don’t worry I think you are too, even when you’re frowning and grumpy,” Oikawa stated matter-of-factly. “And also when you’re angry – it’s a little enthralling,” Oikawa grinned.

Iwaizumi groaned in embarrassment.

Oikawa ignored him. “You know when I think you’re the sexiest though? When you’re really happy and smiling, and your eyes are crinkled into crescents. You have these adorable dimples that make you look that much better, and I can’t look away because it’s the nicest sight I’ve ever seen,” he said honestly. “I love when you smile,” Oikawa added.

 _I love you_ , Oikawa couldn’t help but think. He quickly stored that thought away for another time – a time when he wasn’t drunk and had a guarantee of remembering the things he had said the next morning.

“You’re such a sap,” Iwaizumi answered, but he was smiling shyly.

“This is where you thank me and tell me I’m the best boyfriend ever,” Oikawa reminded cheekily.

“Really?” Iwaizumi quirked a brow.

“Hmm, was I not convincing enough?” Oikawa hummed to himself. “I guess I’ll just have to do better,” he grinned before pulling Iwaizumi towards his apartment faster.

“Where are we going?” Iwaizumi asked, when Oikawa moved to the back of the complex rather than take the stairs up from the front.

“It’s a surprise,” he beamed. “I promise it’s good,” he insisted at Iwaizumi’s hesitance.

Iwaizumi let Oikawa tug him to the back. He released his hold on Iwaizumi’s hands before pushing his hands up on the dumpster near the wall. His legs dangled off the ground for a few moments before he used the rubbery soles of his shoes to get a firm grip against the metal sides.

“What are you doing?” Iwaizumi questioned, worried that Oikawa was going to fall off.

“Come on, jump up here,” Oikawa beamed. He had lifted himself onto the lid and was standing up on the slightly tilted stand. He had splayed his arms wide to get better balance, but most of it was just for show anyway. Oikawa had done this enough times to know just where to step, even if he was a little drunk.

Iwaizumi gave him an unamused looked but he followed Oikawa’s lead and pushed himself up onto the dumpster as well. “What now?” he asked.

“Watch,” Oikawa grinned, grabbing hold of the ladder lining the back of the building. It was lifted off the ground, too far up to climb from the bottom, but good enough to catch from the height of the dumpster.

“Oikawa, you’re going to fall and break your neck,” Iwaizumi chided.

“Then you’ll just have to catch me,” Oikawa flashed a grin before climbing up the ladder.

Thankfully, the building was only two stories high and he didn’t have much to climb before he was leaning over and scrambling onto the roof. Iwaizumi sighed heavily before doing the same, because Oikawa was more than likely to complain until Iwaizumi joined him up there anyway.

“What are we doing here?” Iwaizumi asked, slightly terrified that something bad was going to happen. It wasn’t that he didn’t like heights – he did live on the seventh floor of an apartment building after all – but the fact that he and Oikawa had both been drinking didn’t make this adventure very safe at all.

“Proving to you that I’m the best boyfriend ever,” Oikawa responded easily.

“And how’s that going to work?”

“Shh, Iwa-chan, you’re ruining the moment. Sit down,” he instructed. He crossed his legs on the gravelly rooftop, patting a spot next to him for Iwaizumi to do the same.

“Remember when we went to Yamanakako?” Oikawa asked vaguely, sidling up as close to Iwaizumi as possible without actually sitting _on_ him.

“Hmm,” he confirmed. “How could I forget?” Iwaizumi smiled lazily.

“Well, this is nothing like that, but when Kuroo and I first moved into this apartment, we ended up climbing to the roof on our first night here and although this isn’t high enough to get away from the smog surrounding the city, it quickly became my favourite spot to see stars in Tokyo,” he explained. “I can’t drive you somewhere fancy for a nice stargazing date, but I was hoping that sharing one of my favourite spots with you could also work,” he smiled.

“Thank you,” Iwaizumi said sincerely, voice barely above a whisper. He was looking at Oikawa the way he had been that day in Yamanakako – like Oikawa was the stars himself – and it made Oikawa feel self-conscious, but he beamed in response, eyes closing and teeth flashing with the action.

“This is a little belated, but happy birthday, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whispered, hand fiddling inside the pocket of his jeans until he found what he was looking for.

He pulled out a thin, dark brown, braided, leather bracelet, with a clasp at one end to fasten it in place. Hanging off the clasp was a small, circular object, which upon closer observation was supposed to be a tiny representation of Jupiter.

Iwaizumi reached his hand out, and Oikawa placed the bracelet in his outstretched palm. “You don’t have to wear it – I just thought it was cute and then I found this charm and I mean, it’s kind of cheesy so I won’t blame you for hating it,” Oikawa babbled nervously.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said suddenly, locking their gazes together, effectively cutting off Oikawa’s spiel. “I love it,” he confirmed.

“Really?” Oikawa asked shyly.

“Really,” Iwaizumi answered without missing a beat. He held his left hand out, waiting for Oikawa to take the hint. Oikawa paused for a few moments before it hit him what Iwaizumi wanted him to do and he happily clasped the bracelet around Iwaizumi’s wrist, before he moved his face forward to kiss Iwaizumi’s lips lightly.

Iwaizumi grunted in disapproval as Oikawa moved back too quickly for his liking. “Come here.” He cupped Oikawa’s cheek with his left palm, fingers weaving between Oikawa’s hair, before pulling him in for a proper kiss. The cool metal clasp and charm fell against Oikawa’s cheek and he smiled into the kiss, which Iwaizumi used to pry his mouth open and slip their tongues together.

“Ah you really like it?” Oikawa asked when they broke away.

“I really like _you_ ,” Iwaizumi stated simply.

“But do you like the _gift_?” Oikawa pressed, ignoring the way his heart fluttered at hearing Iwaizumi say that he _liked him_ , despite the fact that he said it often. “I know you said you didn’t want anything but it wasn’t even that expensive so don’t think of it as a birthday gift – not that I didn’t _want_ to spend money on you because I _would_ have–” Iwaizumi cut Oikawa off again with another searing kiss, grazing his bottom lip between his teeth lightly as he pulled back.

“I love it,” he confirmed, smile wide, dimples stretching across his face in that way that made Oikawa want to melt to the floor.

“I’m so happy,” Oikawa admitted. He wove his fingers between Iwaizumi’s and leaned his head against his boyfriend’s shoulder. “So do you agree that I’m the best boyfriend now?” he smiled sleepily.

“Was that ever a question?” Iwaizumi asked, making Oikawa’s heart beat a mile a minute. No matter how many times Iwaizumi complimented him, he could never get enough of his sincerity.

“And you called _me_ a sap,” Oikawa stuttered back, unprepared for the explosions in his chest that were making it very difficult to breathe, let alone think.

“Let’s go inside,” Iwaizumi suggested.

“Mmm, a few more minutes?” Oikawa pleaded.

He stretched his crossed legs out in front of him before lying his head back against the rough gravel. It was a little uncomfortable with a few stray stones sticking against his scalp but he didn’t have much to complain about for long – Iwaizumi placed his hands beneath Oikawa’s head and gently lifted it so it was across his lap instead.

Oikawa smiled up at Iwaizumi’s upside-down face, stretching his arms out to pull him into a kiss. “Thanks, Iwa-chan,” he glowed. Iwaizumi hummed in response, but he let his hands run through Oikawa’s soft hair affectionately as Oikawa moved from gazing into Iwaizumi’s eyes to gazing at the scattering of stars across the navy sky above them.

“You know, you can still see Jupiter from here,” Oikawa beamed.

“Yeah?” Iwaizumi asked sleepily.

“Yeah,” Oikawa confirmed. He took Iwaizumi free hand in his own and pointed up in the direction of the planet. “Right there,” he said happily. “But that’s probably one of the only things you can see. Tokyo sucks for stargazing,” Oikawa chuckled.

“Hmm,” Iwaizumi mumbled, too focused on watching Oikawa’s bright expression.

“Oh but there’s also Sirius,” he remembered. “Although you can probably spot it anywhere considering it’s the brightest star in the sky,” he grinned.

“Where’s that?” Iwaizumi asked – not because he was truly as interested in the stars as Oikawa was but because watching Oikawa’s face shine brightly was a sight he couldn’t get enough of.

“There,” Oikawa beamed, guiding Iwaizumi’s hand in his to the new spot. Iwaizumi let him talk, humming every so often so that Oikawa didn’t think he wasn’t listening and prompting him to continue when he got silent, until Oikawa was too sleepy to say more.

Even when Oikawa dozed off, head rolling slightly in Iwaizumi’s lap to get comfortable, Iwaizumi’s hands never left Oikawa’s hair, until the rhythmic movement of slipping his fingers between the softness had him falling asleep too.

And when they woke up, too early to be considered a full night’s rest thanks to the shining sun, breaking out over the horizon, Iwaizumi was grateful that they got to sleep outside.

Even if his back was sore and his head was pounding more than it ever had in his life, seeing Oikawa’s pale skin catch the light of the rising sun – all those pinks and oranges that were the most beautiful at daybreak – had Iwaizumi wishing they could do this more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yachi is so cute and i want to protect her or maybe adopt her as a little sister <33 you know who else is cute? iwaoi, duh ;3 i had a lot of fun with this chapter and i may or may not have gone a _little_ overboard with the fluff to compensate the way this chapter started. not that i'm complaining about either of those things, and i hope you enjoyed it too *laughs nervously*
> 
> next time:  
> \- where's ~~Wally~~ Bokuto?  
>  \- Ushijima's redemption
> 
> please leave me a comment/kudos if you liked! ^^


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> school officially started yesterday and i'm already done with it... *whispers* senioritis? is that you? i just wanna graduate and get my degree .___.
> 
> i do have a story for you guys (after what feels like forever i'm sorry!!)
> 
> i was driven back to school by my dad and his best friend bc they had business or whatever to take care of. so we were driving back in my dad's best friend's car, which just so happens to be the same car i gave Iwaizumi in this fic and i didn't really think much of it except for the fact that 'yes, this is a super nice car, i want it ;;' until an hour into the drive and i'm just sitting there feeling like the biggest third wheel of life, _ignored_ by my own parent bc he's too busy talking to his friend.
> 
> and then i remembered a few weeks ago at a wedding, my mum ran into my dad's best friend's wife and she was saying how she'll be talking to her husband and my dad will call and he'll just leave her mid-way through a conversation saying 'oh i have to take this' and my mum was like 'but same' ;; ... when the bromance is stronger than the romance *cries*
> 
> speaking of bromances and romances though, this chapter hopefully brings some things closer to the end ^^

Monday afternoon, Oikawa had a shift scheduled at _Coffee King_. He didn’t like working right after class ended because it meant he had to rush to work thanks to the timing of his classes along with the start of his shift, but when he saw Ushijima walk towards him with determination written all over his stoic face, Oikawa couldn’t have been happier to get out of the lecture hall and rush off to work with a legitimate excuse.

“Oikawa, wait, I need to speak with you,” Ushijima’s deep voice called out to him as he hurriedly packed his bag and walked towards the door.

“Sorry, Ushiwaka, I’m busy!” he shouted, not bothering to turn around.

He could have told Ushijima he had work, but he had no doubt that the other man would follow him there if he did. Oikawa wouldn’t have been surprised if Ushijima _did_ end up coming to _Coffee King_ just to tell Oikawa what he wanted to, but he was saved by volleyball practice, which Ushijima never missed unless he had an absolute reason to.

Work was peaceful – nothing out of the ordinary for a Monday afternoon, and by the time his shift had ended, he had practically forgotten his and Ushijima’s brief encounter.

While they had almost every class, except for electives together, Oikawa tried his best to avoid him, and as awkward as Ushijima was, he rarely ever called after Oikawa unless he _really_ needed something. So either he had just thought what he wanted to say was important, or he really did have something worth hearing but Oikawa had always been petty when it came to Ushijima Wakatoshi, and so he chose to forget that the other man had even spoken to him to begin with.

“I’m so _tired_ ,” Oikawa complained, throwing the door of his apartment open when he got back from work. He had an essay he should have been working on, and project ideas he should have been sorting through, but the idea of food was driving his thoughts at the moment. “Kuroo, make me dinner,” he said, knowing the other man was home.

He was pleasantly surprised though, to find that Kuroo wasn’t the only one who was in their apartment. Iwaizumi and Daichi were hanging around the living room, looking so focused on their project.

Iwaizumi’s face was scrunched up in concentration – he was sticking his tongue out slightly as he scribbled what looked like calculations across a page while Daichi called out measurements to him.

“What are they doing?” Oikawa whispered to Kuroo who was standing back, arms crossed, as he watched the two at work.

“Dunno,” Kuroo shrugged. “It’s kind of mesmerizing though. In an entirely intellectual way,” he added, as Oikawa raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“I can see that,” he hummed thoughtfully.

Oikawa joined Kuroo, crossing his arms in an identical position, observing Daichi and Iwaizumi hard at work. It didn’t look like either of them had noticed Oikawa yet, despite his loud arrival with how far into their own world they were. It was actually pretty cute and made Oikawa want to take a picture to frame the tenacious expression Iwaizumi was sporting.

Lately, Iwaizumi and Daichi had been spending more and more time at Oikawa and Kuroo’s apartment, thanks to their need for Kuroo’s chemistry skills. Not that Oikawa minded though – it meant that he got to see Iwaizumi more, and although it was often a distraction, having so many others in the apartment quelled any inappropriate thoughts from developing at the thought of seeing Iwaizumi so often.

“Did you make dinner?” Oikawa asked after a while.

“Nah, I didn’t have time,” Kuroo admitted.

“Want me to just order in?”

“That would probably be best. Order for them too – I’ll bet they haven’t eaten since morning knowing their work ethic,” Kuroo said, jerking his thumb in Iwaizumi and Daichi’s direction. Oikawa chuckled but nodded his head, moving to the kitchen to find a takeout menu he could choose from.

He didn’t get a chance to make a call though because his phone rang before he could. It read unknown number, which Oikawa didn’t think much of, so he ignored the call. He had a bad habit of not picking up when he didn’t know who was calling and it wasn’t like he was expecting a call anyway.

He moved to scan the takeout menus, but his attention was diverted again by his phone that rang with the same unknown number across his screen. While he didn’t recognize it anyone from his contacts, the number looked local, so he moved back to the living room to see if anyone else had a clue.

“Do you know who this is?” Oikawa asked Kuroo.

Kuroo leaned down to take a better look at the number. “Sorry,” he shook his head in apology.

Oikawa frowned, but the call dropped before he could contemplate picking it up, before it was ringing again. “Just pick up. It’s been ringing for two minutes straight now.”

“Fine,” Oikawa huffed. “Hello?” he asked, lifting the phone to his ear.

“Oikawa, don’t hang up,” Ushijima said, making Oikawa scowl immediately.

“And why shouldn’t I?” he bit back.

“Who is it?” Kuroo asked, noticing Oikawa’s disgruntled expression. Oikawa mouthed ‘Ushiwaka,’ which had Kuroo knitting his eyebrows in confusion. “Put him on speaker,” he urged. Oikawa took the phone off his ear and held it on his palm between them.

“Oikawa? Are you still there?”

“Hurry up and tell me what you want before I hang up,” Oikawa snapped impatiently. His displeasure managed to finally catch Iwaizumi and Daichi’s attention.

“Is Bokuto with you?”

“No?” Oikawa asked unsurely, aware of the eyes that were on him. He noticed Iwaizumi frowning at having recognized Ushijima’s voice. “Shouldn’t you know? Didn’t you just have practice?” Oikawa asked, increasingly annoyed with every second that passed.

“He didn’t show up to practice today. Or yesterday, but I thought he might have been sick yesterday. He’s never skipped two days in a row without texting someone first.”

“What do you mean he _didn’t show up to practice_?” Oikawa narrowed his eyes.

“Just what I said. I tried to ask you after class, but you walked away before I could. Is there a reason for his absence?” Ushijima pressed.

“Well did he come _home_?” Oikawa snapped, because who cared if he wasn’t at practice. What mattered was that he went back to his dorm, which he unfortunately shared with Ushijima – the reason why whenever Oikawa hung out with Bokuto, it was anywhere but _there_.

“No,” he answered bluntly.

“What the fuck? Why wouldn’t you _start_ with that information?”

“I thought he was staying over at a friend’s – he does that often – so I didn’t think much of it,” Ushijima defended. “You don’t know where he is?” he clarified.

“I’ll call you later, sorry Ushiwaka,” Oikawa suddenly declared. He hung up before Ushijima could protest, turning his attention towards his friends, who had all heard the conversation between Oikawa and Ushijima.

“Have you guys seen Bokuto?” Oikawa asked nervously, hoping that Ushijima was just overreacting, in a weirdly thoughtful way.

“I haven’t since he and Akaashi left our place early Sunday morning,” Daichi frowned.

“Sorry, I haven’t spoken to him since that night either,” Kuroo apologized. Oikawa looked to Iwaizumi who also shook his head woefully.

“Fuck,” Oikawa cursed. He pulled out his phone and pulled up Bokuto’s contact information, even though he was pretty certain that he knew what the outcome was going to be. He was unsurprised when Bokuto didn’t pick up, but that didn’t stop the panic from rising in his throat.

“ _Call him_!” Oikawa demanded to the three others in the room. They gave him a wary look, but they took out their phones because in his current state, no one wanted to tell Oikawa that all three of them calling at the same time wasn’t going to work.

“He’s not picking up,” Kuroo said, earning him a glare from Oikawa.

“Hey, hey, calm down, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said standing up and moving to Oikawa’s side. Oikawa opened his mouth, to most likely yell something stupid at Iwaizumi, but his boyfriend was quick to cut him off. “Let’s call Akaashi since he was the last person to see him. Maybe Bokuto’s sick – he did have a lot to drink,” Iwaizumi reminded gently.

“Okay,” Oikawa nodded, biting his lower lip between his teeth.

“I’ll do it,” Daichi announced. “You keep calling Bokuto,” he said to Kuroo, who nodded before moving to the side to do as he was asked. The project Iwaizumi and Daichi had been working on suddenly lay forgotten.

No matter what anyone said to calm Oikawa down, he knew there was something _wrong_. When Bokuto was sick, he demanded attention from his friends – he never closed himself off. Often, when Bokuto was down with something, either Kuroo or Oikawa would take the time to bring him food and force him to eat when Akaashi was busy, because he rarely listened to anyone else.

Even if he was incredibly hungover, he would have asked one of his friends to come over to his dorm, and the fact that he wasn’t even _there_ worried Oikawa more than anything.

“He’ll be okay,” Iwaizumi said, placing a comforting arm around Oikawa’s shoulder.

Oikawa wanted to believe him but he didn’t feel very optimistic. Instead of disagreeing, he made a noncommittal sound in response.

When Daichi came back, his frown gave away the news in an instant. Oikawa whined pathetically because what kind of a fucking friend was he that he didn’t even think to worry about Bokuto for the past two days? How stubborn could he be with his own grudges that he couldn’t even bother to hear Ushijima out when class ended – _four hours ago_?

“Akaashi says he hasn’t seen him,” Daichi started. Oikawa opened his mouth to make a negative remark but Daichi cut him off. “No, listen. Akaashi said he _ran away_ from him. I’m not sure what the details are but after he walked Bokuto back to his dorm, Bokuto ran away in the opposite direction. I think they had a fight, which was why Akaashi thought Bokuto was just ignoring him. He said he’d go out to look for him – what do you want to do?”

“We should do the same,” Oikawa insisted.

“I get the feeling that Bokuto is just closing himself off and without anyone around to help him out of his mood, it’s lasting longer than it should so I don’t think we should be _too_ worried but…” Daichi trailed off hesitantly.

Oikawa understood where he was coming from. Knowing that Akaashi had seen him off and then watched Bokuto run away because of whatever rift had happened between them calmed Oikawa down a little. Still, it didn’t dispel all of the worst-case scenarios that were swimming in Oikawa’s head, especially because of Bokuto's vulnerable state at the time he disappeared.

“You think I should call my dad?” Oikawa asked with a frown.

“I know it’s not his jurisdiction, but maybe he can help,” Daichi suggested.

“What?” Iwaizumi asked confusedly. “What’s your dad going to do?”

“He’s Miyagi’s Chief of Police,” Daichi said with a frown – like that was just common knowledge between them. “He probably has contacts in Tokyo who can help us track Bokuto. It’s our best shot,” he explained.

“He’s _what_? You told me he was a _police officer_ ,” Iwaizumi gaped.

“Well, he _is_ ,” Oikawa defended moodily.

Iwaizumi opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it upon realizing that this was not the time nor was it the place to have that discussion.

“I’ll call him and ask what he can do,” Oikawa frowned, knowing his father wouldn’t be happy – probably considering this an abuse of privilege – but Oikawa could take the lecturing that would come with the request if it meant finding Bokuto faster.

He left Iwaizumi, who had furrowed his eyebrows in distress, and Daichi who was starting to look hesitant despite the calm demeanour he was trying to portray in the living room, while he headed to a corner of the apartment to make his call.

It was nearing 8 pm, and his parents were likely having dinner if his father was even home, and he hated having to call under such circumstances, but what else could he do?

After a few apologies and a promise to call back more often – courtesy of his mum – his dad had agreed to ask someone for help. Oikawa relayed the news to his friends, who had all decided that they should split up and look for Bokuto themselves in the meantime, making a list of all the possible places he could have gone and tackling them one at a time.

“I called Suga, and he said he was near _Coffee King_ so he’ll grab Kenma and go to that ice cream place in Chiyoda that Bokuto really loves,” Daichi confirmed.

Daichi and Kuroo agreed to go to the school and check the classrooms in the psychology department, which had the comfiest lounges that Bokuto often napped in, while Iwaizumi and Oikawa were given the task of going to Adachi, because Bokuto’s normal running route was along the Sumida river. There were quite a few stores along there that Bokuto could also have been hiding out in.

“We can take my car, it’ll be faster,” Iwaizumi reminded when Oikawa made a move towards the train station. He nodded, gripping his phone tightly, waiting for the call his father promised someone would give him if they had any information. It technically wasn’t a missing person’s report, so he knew it was low priority, but it made him anxious to know where Bokuto was anyway.

Their drive to Adachi wasn’t very long, and incredibly silent. It wasn’t awkward, but it _was_ tense. Oikawa felt Iwaizumi’s grip on his hand tighten, but Oikawa fingers remained limp against them, afraid that if he held on too tightly he would end up crushing Iwaizumi’s hand in his grip.

They made three rounds along the river, searched through at least twenty different small stores, and even took a shot through a shady looking alleyway with a nightclub that had an owl as its mascot, but they didn’t see Bokuto, nor did they receive any calls.

It was late, way past midnight, by the time Iwaizumi finally parked his car behind a conbini so that he could get something quick for them to eat. Oikawa He handed Oikawa a bowl of cup noodles and a pair of chopstick; Oikawa regarded the meal with contempt, not feeling very hungry at all.

“Eat,” Iwaizumi instructed. Oikawa wrinkled his nose in disdain but he broke open the chopsticks and started scooping the noodles into his mouth mechanically.

“Thanks,” Oikawa mumbled, eventually remembering his manners. Iwaizumi grunted in response, but otherwise, they ate in silence.

“Has he done this before?” Iwaizumi asked when he had finished, in an attempt to resolve the deafening quietness between them.

“Not to this extent,” Oikawa sighed. “He usually can’t handle more than a few hours alone and ends up calling someone,” he chewed his bottom lip.

“I’m sure he has a good explanation,” Iwaizumi reasoned.

“I guess,” Oikawa shrugged, not really bothered by Bokuto’s _reason_ so much as the fact that he didn’t contact _anyone_.

They fell into silence again, until Oikawa finished his part of the meal and headed back to the car. “Do you want to do another round of his running route or do you want to check somewhere else?” Iwaizumi asked once they had settled into the car.

“Let’s do another round then go help Kuroo and Daichi cover the campus. It’s big – he may be cooped up somewhere there,” Oikawa suggested. Iwaizumi nodded his approval before starting the car up.

Oikawa leaned back against the seat. With some food in his stomach, he was starting to get sleepy. The thought made him feel guilty though because if _he_ was tired, he couldn’t imagine how Iwaizumi was feeling. As far as Oikawa knew, he had only had two half-assed meals throughout the day because he had been so busy with his project, and now he was out with Oikawa, looking for Bokuto.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Iwaizumi gave him a curious look, turning his head back to the road in front of him. “Why?”

“You have an early morning tomorrow and I dragged you out. That was inconsiderate of me,” he explained sadly.

“You know that just because you’ve known Bokuto longer than I have doesn’t mean that I don’t care about him as well, right? You don’t have to apologize – he’s my friend too,” Iwaizumi confirmed. “And even if he wasn’t, I would have still helped you. If it’s important to you, then it’s important to me. That’s what being in a relationship means, doesn’t it?” he asked seriously.

Oikawa’s throat felt dry at hearing Iwaizumi’s sincerity. He nodded feebly, unsure if he would be able to get the right words out to express how much Iwaizumi’s loyalty meant to him. He didn’t have to worry about it for long though, because his phone rang and suddenly, all his attention was on the device in his lap.

“Hello? Yes, this is Oikawa Tooru,” he said quickly. Iwaizumi pulled the car to the side as Oikawa spoke on the phone. “Are you sure? Okay. Yes, I know where that is. Thank you very much for your help.”

“Good news?” Iwaizumi asked.

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa confirmed. “Bokuto’s home. Not his dorm, but his parents’ home. They must be out of town; otherwise, they would have called one of us to get Bokuto out of his gloomy mood. Can you drive us there if I put in the address?”

“Of course.”

Oikawa hastily put in Bokuto’s address into the GPS. As Iwaizumi drove, Oikawa called the others to let them know what was happening. After a little bit of prompting from Iwaizumi, he even begrudgingly texted Ushijima to let him know the situation would be handled and that he shouldn’t worry. They all agreed to meet them there, but considering Iwaizumi and Oikawa were the ones with access to a car, they arrived at Bokuto’s house first.

“Should we knock?” Iwaizumi asked, turning the engine and headlights off.

“Nah, he’ll probably try to escape if we do. Let’s go in from the back – there’s a spare key hidden in one of the pots.”

“Isn’t that breaking and entering?” Iwaizumi quirked a brow.

“My dad’s too important for me to get arrested,” Oikawa said teasingly, flashing him a quick smile. His mood had improved significantly in the time it took to drive to Bokuto’s.

“Yeah, about that,” Iwaizumi started. “Miyagi’s Chief of Police, huh?” he asked, making Oikawa blush.

“I know, I should have told you but I didn’t want to scare you off,” Oikawa defended.

“I’m not mad,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “Just have to make sure never to break your heart I guess,” he mused.

“What? Were you planning on doing that at some point?” Oikawa asked, smiling easily.

“You wish, Trashykawa,” Iwaizumi scoffed, rolling his eyes. He held open the gate to the backyard for Oikawa before following him into the garden. “Anything else I should know though?” he added jokingly.

Oikawa pondered the thought for a moment before saying, “Yeah. My older brother’s also a cop, which you already know but uhm, he may or may not run the guns and gangs division in Sendai,” Oikawa said quickly.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Iwaizumi whisper-shouted, because the neighbourhood they were in was tranquil and he didn’t want to bring attention to themselves. So late at night, they definitely looked suspicious.

“Does that make you nervous?” Oikawa teased.

“The head of the law enforcement of an entire prefecture _and_ a cop who regularly deals with the Yakuza,” Iwaizumi stated bluntly. “What do _you_ think?”

“No need to be so sarcastic, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa scolded. “It sounds like you really _were_ trying to break my heart at some point,” he hummed, feeling a stutter in his chest at the thought. “Well, at least you’ll think twice about doing it now,” he sighed, voice light and teasing, if only to calm himself down.

“That’s not funny,” Iwaizumi scowled. Oikawa pouted at the less than enthusiastic response, so he took Oikawa’s hand in his own, kissing his fingertips lightly in silent confirmation, before releasing them. “Which pot is it?” he asked, amazed at the number of plants that were littering the entirety of the backyard, all different colours and mismatched, but somehow still looking like they belonged.

“This one.” Oikawa bent down to dig through a clay pot with white daisies painted onto the side. He lifted a smaller pot out of the larger one, camouflaged by their similar texture and colour, below which lay a key. “Let’s go,” he beamed, pulling the key out and wiping the excess dirt from his hands against his jeans.

“This feels so wrong,” Iwaizumi muttered, but when Oikawa threw him a withering look he shrugged half-heartedly, following Oikawa into the house.

They slipped their shoes off, padding through the first floor quietly. The kitchen was empty, but a static noise could be heard from the living room. Oikawa figured that Bokuto was probably watching tv, or maybe he had fallen asleep with it on.

“Who’s there?” Bokuto called nervously. So he was still awake – that was good, because it would have been weirder to show up in his house and wake him up, in Oikawa’s opinion. Instead of answering Bokuto’s question, Oikawa flipped the light switch on.

“Ahhhhh!” Bokuto screamed, standing up on the couch with a large chef’s knife in one hand and his blanket clutched in the other. His hair was sticking up all over the place – way more than usual – and his eyes were rounded and red from a lack of sleep.

“Fuck, Bokuto, put that down!” Oikawa yelled, moving to crouch behind Iwaizumi.

“Gee, thanks, Oikawa, just let me get stabbed with the knife, why don’t you?” he asked sarcastically.

“You’re supposed to protect me! Your death will be heroic!” Oikawa wailed.

“What the fuck are you guys even doing here?” Bokuto yelled, thankfully putting the knife down and stepping down off the couch. Without the extra height leverage and the weapon, Oikawa felt more at ease and he came out from behind Iwaizumi’s broad shoulders, standing up straight next to the other man.

“ _Us_?” Oikawa asked, rounding his anger at Bokuto now that he knew the other man was alright. “What about you? Why did you come here without telling anyone where you were going? And what the fuck are you doing with a knife, you asshole?” Oikawa scolded. He shouldn’t have been so harsh, but seeing Bokuto had riled him up.

Bokuto’s face fell upon hearing Oikawa’s words. “I _am_ an asshole, aren’t I?” he asked sadly, slumping down on the couch. He released the blanket clutched in his hand and pulled it over his head, pushing himself as deep into the back of the couch as he could with his knees tucked into his chest.

Oikawa felt guilt wash over him immediately. He scrambled to wrap his arms around Bokuto over the blanket. “I’m sorry!” he apologized. “You’re not an asshole, and I was mad because I was worried, but I shouldn’t have called you that. I care about you, Bokuto – we _all_ do.” He tried to peel the blanket off of Bokuto’s head, but the other man was stubbornly holding on to it from the inside.

“No you don’t,” he said dejectedly.

“I don’t what? Care about you? Of course I _do_. It’s a Monday night, well early Tuesday now and I’m here _because_ I care about you,” Oikawa insisted.

“I don’t get why though. I’m just a nuisance,” Bokuto claimed. “You shouldn’t have ruined your night over me.”

Oikawa sighed, knowing that this path wasn’t going to get him anywhere. “Can you tell me why you ran away from Akaashi?”

Bokuto shifted inside the blanket. “You talked to Akaashi?”

“I didn’t,” Oikawa shook his head. “Daichi called him to ask if he knew where you were. He sounded upset from Daichi’s description,” Oikawa said slowly.

“See? I bother everyone around me,” he sighed.

“We’re here because we want to be, Bokuto. Me, Iwaizumi, Daichi, Suga, Kuroo, Kenma, and Akaashi were looking for you because we all care about you. Even Ushiwaka was worried. You know, he called me to ask if I knew what had happened,” Oikawa chuckled nervously. “That just goes to show how important you are, right?”

Oikawa had never dealt with Bokuto in this bad of a state before. He looked up from the couch to see Iwaizumi who was standing by the doorway, arms crossed with a thoughtful expression across his face. He smiled encouragingly at Oikawa, who nudged his face closer to Bokuto’s shoulder, tightening his hold around the man. His voice was muffled against the soft blanket, but being so close to Bokuto, he was sure he could hear what Oikawa had to say.

“Usually you talk to Akaashi when things go wrong,” Oikawa said carefully. “Can I assume that this has to do with him then?” Bokuto didn’t answer for a few moments; then he shifted under the blanket and Oikawa saw his head shake in confirmation. “Tell me what happened, please?”

“You’ll hate me.”

“I wont,” Oikawa responded immediately.

“I kissed Akaashi,” he said suddenly. Oikawa paused, jaw dropping at the statement before he composed himself. The pause was too long because Bokuto let out a whimper. “I _knew_ you’d hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Oikawa said quickly. “I just don’t get why you’re upset about that,” he stated honestly. “You know Akaashi likes you, right?”

“Yes,” Bokuto nodded his head. “I don’t know why though. I’m afraid he’ll realize I’m an annoying person if we’re in a relationship and then he won’t want to be friends with me either,” he admitted.

“Is that what this is about?” Oikawa asked. “Akaashi would never do that. He’s one of the nicest people I know,” Oikawa defended.

“That’s even worse then – if he stays with me because he’s afraid of hurting my feelings. I shouldn’t have kissed him. I fucked up. I was too drunk, and he looked really nice, and he kept complimenting me. Then he walked me back to my dorm and it felt like a date, you know, and I thought _what the hell_ , because people usually kiss at the end of a date, right?” he asked hopefully.

Oikawa’s face twisted in worry. “You like him?”

“Yeah,” Bokuto admitted.

“Then talk to _him_ about your worries. You should tell him how you feel from the start and how he reacts will be a good indication to whether your relationship would have lasted had he found out later. If he reacts badly then it wasn’t worth it, and that’s not the kind of relationship, whether it’s a romantic one or a friendship, that you want either way. And if you lay things out in the open and Akaashi thinks you’re better off as friends then hey, you didn’t even start dating so maintaining your friendship will be easier,” Oikawa reasoned.

“You think so?” Bokuto asked, pulling the blanket over his head. His hair was sticking up even more now thanks to the static from the blanket and his eyes were wide, blinking owlishly in Oikawa’s direction.

“Would I lie to you?” Oikawa asked, halfway between sincerity and teasing.

“Actually, that one time you lied to me about the expiry date on the milk in your fridge,” Bokuto repeated mechanically.

There was a beat of silence between them before they both burst into laughter. Bokuto pushed the blanket the rest of the way down his neck and torso so he could get his hands out from underneath it and wrap Oikawa in a proper hug.

“I’m so confused,” Iwaizumi said when they broke apart from the crushing embrace.

“Don’t worry, it’s an inside joke,” Bokuto grinned. “Thanks for coming all this way, Iwaizumi,” he said sincerely, standing up and walking towards Iwaizumi to wrap him in a tight hug as well.

“Yeah, any time,” Iwaizumi answered stiffly.

“Group hug!” Oikawa called, latching onto Bokuto’s back. His arms were long enough to fit around Bokuto’s torso and grip Iwaizumi’s biceps. He grinned knowingly, to which Iwaizumi opened his mouth to protest but whatever he wanted to say was forgotten the moment Oikawa felt a pressure on his back.

“Ow,” he grumbled.

“I can’t believe you left me out of a group hug!” Kuroo complained.

“Kuroo?” Oikawa tried to twist his head to get a look at the man behind him, but whatever vision he had left, squished between Kuroo and Bokuto, was soon covered by Suga’s smiling face.

“I want in on this!” he beamed, dragging Kenma in with him and stretching his hands as wide as they would go. Oikawa heard Daichi’s familiar chuckle before an added pressure to his left indicated that he had joined the hug as well.

“Guys, I love you, but I can’t breathe,” Bokuto complained, prompting everyone to fall back. When they pulled apart, Bokuto was beaming, face flushed and sincere. Then his eyes landed on Akaashi who was standing a ways back, arms twisted behind his back and a pained expression across his face. “Akaashi, can we talk? Alone?” Bokuto asked.

Akaashi nodded, and Bokuto moved to lead him into the backyard for some privacy.

“How’d you get here so fast?” Oikawa asked once they had retreated. He had thought that it would take his friends another twenty minutes _at least_ considering the trains were so infrequent at this time of the night.

“Yeah, about that…” Suga said carefully. “Don’t freak out, but Ushijima drove us,” he said quickly.

“ _What_? What the fuck is he doing here?” Oikawa asked, incredibly annoyed.

“Didn’t you text him?” Daichi cocked his head.

“I told him to go to sleep and not to worry because Bokuto was _fine_. I didn’t tell him to come join us, and I certainly didn’t tell him where he was, how’d he even know?”

“That’s… my bad,” Kuroo grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, he called me as soon as he got your text and I kind of blabbed, but he has a car and we got here quick so you can’t really complain!” he defended.

Before Oikawa could grumble in annoyance, Ushijima walked into the living room. “Did someone call my name?”

“Is that your bat signal or something?” Oikawa said snappily, out of habit more than anything else.

“No, it’s my name,” Ushijima responded seriously.

“You’re so annoying,” Oikawa grumbled.

“Come on, Oikawa, be nice,” Iwaizumi chided, pulling Oikawa to his side to placate him. Oikawa leaned into the touch, comforted by Iwaizumi’s warmth and the familiar smell of his cologne.

“Thanks, I guess,” Oikawa thanked Ushijima begrudgingly.

“You’re welcome,” Ushijima responded sincerely.

So maybe he was just awkward, but that didn’t stop him from getting on Oikawa’s nerves. For this one night though, Oikawa supposed he could keep his flighty comments to himself… or _try_ to at least.

They scattered themselves around the living room, spreading out over the couch, the chairs and the rug on the floor, floating somewhere between sleep and consciousness. Everyone was tired, but they were also very eager to know how Bokuto and Akaashi’s talk would turn out.

It took a while, but eventually, the two came back, and when everyone noticed they were smiling and holding hands, there were no questions asked. Bokuto insisted that they all stay the night, considering it was very late and no one had any objections to the offer.

The night may have turned out different from how Oikawa imagined it would, but falling asleep next to Iwaizumi, surrounding by his friends (and Ushijima), Oikawa couldn’t have been happier knowing that everything worked out the way it was supposed to.

That didn’t stop him from complaining about how _tired_ he was though the next morning, and trying to coax Ushijima into buying everyone breakfast, which the other man was surprisingly accepting of.

It was only when he felt a little tap to the back of his head, followed by Iwaizumi’s, “Don’t be an ass, Oikawa,” did Oikawa grin and stop his goading.

He, nor anyone else for that matter, failed to notice the way Bokuto and Akaashi hadn’t stopped holding each other’s hand for longer than they had. Perhaps this year was going well for more than just Oikawa, and Oikawa couldn’t have been happier with that realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like i have to say this every time Ushijima is mentioned but i do _not_ , i repeat i do _not_ hate him, and i have no intentions of portraying him as the 'bad guy' in this fic. he's awkward and blunt to a fault, and i won't deny that things he says _can_ be rude, especially if you're not his friend, but i do think he genuinely cares about people! just take the animanga for example, he's a good captain and a good senpai! 
> 
> next time:  
> \- meeting the parents round 2  
> \- incriminating words (rip Oikawa, or maybe Iwaizumi?)
> 
> this chapter concludes the second arc of this fic. the next (also the last) arc will go on until the end, which will just be their time during the summer break c: 
> 
> please leave me a comment or kudos! ♡ they make me really happy to read, and i do adore your feedback, even if it's just one line!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing to report for this week lol so I hope you enjoy the chapter ^^

The rest of June and most of July went by in a blur. Iwaizumi would have felt bad about not being able to see Oikawa in that time as much as he’d have liked if it wasn’t for the fact that Oikawa was just as busy as he was. If Oikawa wasn’t at work or at school, he was in the library, working with his group mates on their business proposal. Iwaizumi had his own project to be thinking about, so it was comforting to know that he wasn’t ditching Oikawa. 

Still, they made time to see one another quickly; their meetings for almost a month consisted of quick lunch dates and instant meals bought from the conbini, eating in quick succession before they both went back to their own work. The only time Iwaizumi and Oikawa really got to spend with one another was at night, because no matter how tired they were, they had fallen into the routine of coming home together.

Kuroo had once joked to Iwaizumi at the gym that he felt like he didn’t even have a roommate anymore with the amount of time Oikawa spent at Iwaizumi’s apartment. Iwaizumi had felt guilty at the statement, because he didn’t want to take Oikawa away from his friends – ones that he had known longer than Iwaizumi at any rate – but he didn’t have anything to worry about. 

As Kuroo comforted him that he was only joking and reassured him that Oikawa looked far happier with Iwaizumi than he had ever looked in the three years that Kuroo had known him, all his worries were washed away. The declaration made Iwaizumi blush, but it also made him happy because _he_ felt happier with Oikawa than he had felt with anyone else. 

Which was why at the end of July, when Oikawa’s birthday fell in the week right before final exams for the semester started, Iwaizumi felt incredibly guilty settling on just dinner and a movie. Oikawa had made his birthday special, he had made him feel _happy_ and important, and made him actually enjoy celebrating a day for himself for the first time in a long while; and while Oikawa insisted that dinner and a movie was great, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but feel like it was completely inadequate.

He didn’t want to do something for Oikawa _just because_ his boyfriend had made his birthday the best celebration, in his twenty-one years of life, but because he felt that Oikawa _deserved_ it.

The timing just wasn’t great though, but Oikawa was very understanding. He knew how busy Iwaizumi was because he was busy too, and although Iwaizumi could see that a part of Oikawa was _little bit_ upset at not being able to spend his birthday in a bigger way, Iwaizumi understood that the feeling of disappointment wasn’t geared towards him at any rate.

Oikawa had been dealing with his birthday falling near or during exams for his entire life and this year shouldn’t have been any different, but it was. Knowing that Oikawa was disheartened made Iwaizumi feel weirdly good about himself, if entirely guilty.

But once exams were over, they had a month and half of vacation, which Iwaizumi hoped to use to make it up to Oikawa for not doing all that he wanted to for his boyfriend on his birthday.

The only problem lay in figuring out Oikawa’s schedule for when he was planning to go home and trying to convince him to plan it around what Iwaizumi had organized for him.

“ _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa whined, flopping down on his bed where Iwaizumi was lying, legs stretched, bare-chested and looking entirely too comfortable for Oikawa’s liking. He purposely spread his arm across Iwaizumi’s torso, laying half on him because the bed was small and he wanted to be close to Iwaizumi.

“What?” Iwaizumi asked, looking down from his phone. He smiled at the sight of Oikawa's hair flopping across him, tickling the bare skin just the slightest bit.

He had initially come over to help Oikawa pack because Oikawa claimed he couldn’t do it all by himself, but then he got mad at Iwaizumi every time he packed something in the ‘wrong order,’ so Iwaizumi had taken to browsing his phone, sneaking a few glances at Oikawa every time he bent over, because no matter how many times he’d seen Oikawa naked, he couldn’t get past his wonderful body, even when it was fully clothed.

Exams had ended on Friday and they had both spent the weekend doing absolutely nothing, cooped up in Iwaizumi’s apartment to make up for lost time. It was finally Monday, and while Oikawa wasn’t planning on going home till the next week, he had _too many things_ he needed to pack. Iwaizumi couldn’t understand why Oikawa couldn’t just live without his collection of movies, or his _sweaters_ , which he certainly wouldn’t need in the summer heat.

“It’s _cold_ ,” Oikawa had argued when Iwaizumi had pointed that out to him.

“You’ve slept naked the past two days,” Iwaizumi had deadpanned.

“But I wont have Iwa-chan to keep me warm back home,” Oikawa had pouted. He had then proceeded to beg Iwaizumi to warm him _right then_ , which promptly put an end to their discussion as they ended up sprawled across Oikawa’s bed doing just that.

After that though, Oikawa insisted he needed to get ahead on packing, so he begrudgingly picked himself up, slipped on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and moved around the room, sorting through his belongings.

For a small bedroom, Oikawa sure had managed to fit a lot of things inside it.

Iwaizumi had watched him for a while before he too picked up his discarded shorts, but no matter what Oikawa said, it was _too hot_ , so he decided to forego a shirt. That had been only thirty minutes ago and it sounded like Oikawa’s attention span was waning.

“I’m tired,” Oikawa complained, using his hand that was lying across Iwaizumi’s bare stomach to trace nonsense patterns across his tan skin. His fingers fit between the ridges of Iwaizumi’s muscle, and the feeling made Iwaizumi shudder despite himself. He shifted over slightly so Oikawa wasn’t lying half on him and half off the bed.

“That’s because you’re packing your entire room,” Iwaizumi chided, putting his phone down to the side and using his free hands to run through Oikawa’s hair affectionately. Oikawa propped his chin on Iwaizumi’s chest and looked up at him petulantly. The thigh that he had draped between Iwaizumi’s legs was moving absentmindedly, and Iwaizumi briefly wondered whether Oikawa had just slumped across him to get him hard again.

Knowing Oikawa though, he wouldn’t put it past him.

“I’m _tired_ because you’re not helping,” Oikawa shot back.

“You told me I was ruining your process,” Iwaizumi chuckled.

“Because you _were_. I told you not to the put the blue sweater at the bottom of the pile and you _did_ ,” Oikawa said flippantly.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, because Oikawa had more than one blue sweater, so how was he supposed to know which one Oikawa had been talking about?

“I still don’t get why you need to take sweaters back. Miyagi might be further north than Tokyo, but it’s the end of July – this is the hottest time of the year throughout the entire country,” Iwaizumi reasoned.

“I told you _why_ ,” Oikawa pouted. “You never listen to me,” he whined, dropping his head and rubbing his forehead against Iwaizumi’s chest, half in frustration, half with affection. “And technically, it’s August tomorrow,” he added, voice muffled against Iwaizumi’s skin.

“Like that makes a difference. It’s still hot,” Iwaizumi laughed.

“You know what else is hot? Or _who_?” Oikawa grinned, flashing Iwaizumi a knowing smile, lifting his head up with the sudden change in conversation.

“No.”

“You didn’t let me finish!” Oikawa complained.

“I know what you want and we had sex not even an hour ago,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.

“You’re so _mean_ ,” Oikawa whined, lightly hitting his fist against Iwaizumi’s chest. The action was childish, but when Oikawa did it, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but crack a lopsided grin because it was still fucking _cute_.

“Pack your bags first, and we’ll see,” he shrugged ominously.

But they both knew that by the end of the night Iwaizumi would have given in to Oikawa’s whims. Oikawa huffed against him but didn’t protest. Iwaizumi should have told Oikawa to get off and go back to what he was supposed to be doing right then, but he liked hearing Oikawa breathe against his chest. Just having him _near_ him had a calming effect on him.

“You didn’t make plans tomorrow, did you?” he asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them. 

“No,” Oikawa shook his head; Iwaizumi felt his bangs brush across his chest, tickling him again. “I want to spend time with you before we can’t see each other for over a _month_ ,” Oikawa moaned. He moved his head to be able to press open mouth kisses against the soft skin of Iwaizumi’s chest.

“I told you to come visit me,” Iwaizumi laughed. “My mum invited you too, remember?” he reminded.

“Hmm,” Oikawa agreed dismissively.

Iwaizumi didn’t know why, but every time Oikawa complained about not being able to see him and Iwaizumi suggested that he come to Hokkaido for a few days, Oikawa became unresponsive and moody. Iwaizumi was giving him a reason to _stop_ complaining, but Oikawa seemed hell bent on not taking him up on the offer. It made him self-conscious and he figured Oikawa had his reasons, but unlike all the other times, he decided not to ignore the feeling today.

“You don’t want to?”

“Of course I _want_ to,” Oikawa confirmed. He had propped his chin up against Iwaizumi’s chest again and was chewing his bottom lip thoughtfully. Iwaizumi didn’t press him to explain further, but after a few contemplative seconds, Oikawa opened his mouth to defend himself. “It’s just… it’s only a month. It can’t be that bad, right? I shouldn’t make you feel guilty by complaining about not seeing you,” he rushed out, face turning pink from embarrassment.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” Iwaizumi tapped his forehead lightly, making Oikawa’s lips curl up. “I told you to visit me because I’ll _miss you_ ,” he said gently.

“Really?” Oikawa asked disbelievingly.

Iwaizumi fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Duh. You think after three and a half months I wouldn’t?” he asked teasingly.

Oikawa perked up at that. “You should come visit me too, then!” he beamed. “I mean, it’ll be the first time that you meet my parents so that might be awkward and my house is always crowded because my sister and my nephew still live there and my mum likes to leave the door open so half the neighbourhood walks through it at all times of the day, but it’ll be fine,” Oikawa said more to himself than Iwaizumi. “You’ll come, right?” he grinned.

“If you want me to, I will,” Iwaizumi confirmed. 

“Yay!” Oikawa cried happily.

“Are you going to go back to packing now?” Iwaizumi asked knowingly.

“Yes!” Oikawa declared. “I have a reason to want to go home now,” he flashed Iwaizumi a smile. When Iwaizumi quirked his eyebrows in confusion, Oikawa elaborated, “Iwa-chan’s coming to visit.” He said it like it was the most obvious explanation in the world. “And I get to show off how handsome my boyfriend is to my sister and make her jealous,” Oikawa added teasingly. 

Iwaizumi blushed, but he smiled at Oikawa’s enthusiasm all the same. “Go pack,” he chided, gently nudging Oikawa off him and sliding off the bed to do the same. Even if Oikawa yelled at him for ‘ _ruining his process_ ’, Iwaizumi was willing to try and help again; if only because he had a feeling that Oikawa's bad mood was all for show anyway. Now that he didn’t have a reason to _not_ want to go home, Iwaizumi figured Oikawa would be more lenient on him about his help with packing.

 

* * *

Waking up at 7 am on a Tuesday where Oikawa _didn’t_ have to go to work was not in his repertoire, especially because he hadn’t even gotten to go to bed till four hours ago. Yet he found himself being shaken awake by Iwaizumi all the same.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Oikawa mumbled sleepily, curling his blankets in his chest tighter. Despite his words, he wasn’t doing a very good job of getting up to see what it was that Iwaizumi wanted. 

“I want to show you something,” Iwaizumi whispered softly in his ear. Oikawa groaned, swatting his hand back to make Iwaizumi move away from him because no matter how sleepy Oikawa was, if Iwaizumi was going to whisper in _that voice_ in his ear, he wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep. And he wanted nothing more than to sleep because this was his _vacation, dammit_.

Oikawa may not have needed a lot of hours to get by during the day, but when he had the time to sleep in, he liked to indulge himself. At least – he didn’t want to wake up at fucking seven in the morning, which he concluded it was when he cracked open an eye and noticed the slight light filtering through the curtains. 

“Oikawa, wake up,” Iwaizumi said again.

“No,” Oikawa said childishly.

“I promise it’s good.”

“So is sleep,” Oikawa bit back.

“You can sleep in the car,” Iwaizumi reasoned.

That caught Oikawa’s attention. He turned over so he was facing Iwaizumi who was kneeling with his knees on the floor so his head could be level with Oikawa’s sleeping form on the bed.

“I thought you said you wanted to show me something?”

“I do, but it’s a little bit of a drive. Come on, I know you won’t regret it,” Iwaizumi pleaded, threading his hands in the bangs that had fallen across Oikawa’s face. He pushed them side before leaning in to kiss his exposed forehead. “You trust me, right?”

Oikawa groaned at the question because it wasn’t fair that Iwaizumi was using that method. Still, Iwaizumi looked and sounded so sincere when he said he wanted to show Oikawa something that Oikawa was weak to do anything but comply.

“Alright, fine. Let me brush my teeth.”

Iwaizumi grinned at him, moving back to give Oikawa space to get off the bed. Oikawa rolled his feet off to hit the ground, before using his hands to give himself a push. Yawning once, he made his way out of the bedroom.

When he was done in the bathroom, Oikawa caught sight of his dishevelled hair in the mirror. He contemplated fixing it, but considering he was just going to fall back asleep in the car, he eventually decided against it.

Iwaizumi was waiting for him at the front door, dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt, so Oikawa pulled on a similar outfit, except he grabbed Iwaizumi’s bomber jacket that Oikawa had all but stolen to wear on top of his navy t-shirt.

“It’s not cold,” Iwaizumi reminded.

“At 7 am, it sure is,” Oikawa rolled his eyes. “Besides, this smells like you,” he smiled sleepily. He tugged the door closed behind Iwaizumi and locked it as quietly as possible so as to not wake up Kuroo who was still at home, sleeping like any normal person would be doing at 7 am on their vacation.

“Where are we going?” Oikawa asked, settling into the cozy leather seat of Iwaizumi’s car. He immediately slipped off his shoes and brought his knees to his chest, making himself comfortable.

“It’s a surprise,” Iwaizumi grinned. “Go to sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Oikawa didn’t need to be told twice. Even though he didn’t really like surprises, he trusted Iwaizumi and the comfy seats were calling out to him. So he laid his head back against the headrest and pulled up the blanket Iwaizumi had tossed to him from the backseat across his body, and fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of the car engine.

When Oikawa woke up, it was again with Iwaizumi’s prompting. “Hey, we’re here,” he smiled, pulling the blanket off of Oikawa’s body. At the loss of the warmth, Oikawa let out an involuntary shudder.

“Where are we?” he asked, moving to peer outside the window his head had somehow ended up leaning against during the drive.

“Wait,” Iwaizumi chided, holding Oikawa’s head between his hands. “Close your eyes and don’t look,” he prompted. Oikawa cocked his eyebrows disbelievingly, as if to say ‘really?’ but Iwaizumi didn’t budge. “Just do it.”

“Fine,” Oikawa complied.

“Don’t peak,” Iwaizumi warned. He moved out of the car and opened the passenger side door to guide Oikawa out. “I’ll tell you where to walk, so just trust me,” he said simply.

“Okay, okay,” Oikawa agreed with a small laugh.

To make sure that Oikawa didn’t _accidentally_ open his eyes however, Iwaizumi fitted his palms over Oikawa’s eyes, blocking out most of the sunlight.

The walk was silent for maybe a few seconds before Oikawa got fidgety. “How much longer?” he asked impatiently for what was the fifth time.

“Almost there,” Iwaizumi replied mechanically.

“You said that the last time,” Oikawa complained.

“I wanted you to be quiet,” Iwaizumi admitted. “But we _are_ almost there now,” he added, soothing Oikawa’s putout expression. “Step up,” Iwaizumi instructed. Oikawa put his foot up and felt the floor change. “Take your shoes off.” Oikawa frowned, but toed his shoes off of his feet. He felt the familiar feel of tatami mats below him.

“Are we at an onsen?” Oikawa frowned.

“No?” Iwaizumi answered unsurely.

“We _are_ , aren’t we?” Oikawa smiled, eyes still covered by Iwaizumi’s palm. “Ooh, what are we doing here?”

“We’re not. You’ll see,” Iwaizumi said vaguely.

“Iwa-chan, I already know where we are – you can remove your hands from eyes now.”

“Can you please stop talking for five seconds and just _walk_?” Iwaizumi groaned.

“Is this supposed to be a sex thing? Because if you wanted to try sensory deprivation then we could have just stayed home for that,” Oikawa said innocently, trying to rile Iwaizumi up because that was the only way he could think to agitate his boyfriend enough for him to release his hands from Oikawa’s face.

“Oikawa, I’m serious. Stop talking,” Iwaizumi nudged his back with his knee harshly.

“Ooh, Iwa-chan, how _rough_ of you,” Oikawa teased. “I guess this really is a sex thing.”

He felt Iwaizumi remove a hand from his eyes quickly, sliding a door open before his hand was back on Oikawa’s eyes. If Iwaizumi wasn’t covering his vision, Oikawa would definitely have peaked.

“ _Oikawa_ …” Iwaizumi warned. Oikawa didn’t know why his voice sounded so troubled when he didn’t have a problem dealing with Oikawa’s teasing before. But as soon as Iwaizumi dropped his hands from Oikawa’s eyes, and the sight of Oikawa’s parents, siblings, and nephew came into view, he understood.

The only thing that had been separating them for the past few seconds was a wooden door, that wasn’t exactly soundproof.

His jaw dropped at the sight – both from the shock of seeing them and from having just said _too much_ in front of them.

“W– what are you doing here?” Oikawa screeched, feeling his face heat up. “Why didn’t you _tell me_ they were here?” Oikawa yelled, rounding on Iwaizumi.

“I _tried_ to tell you to shut up, but you wouldn’t stop talking,” Iwaizumi defended. “It was supposed to be a surprise,” he said, voice strained.

Oikawa looked at his father, whose eyebrows had risen so far up his forehead that they were hidden in his hairline, then his mum who had crossed her arms over her chest and looked like she was torn between disapproval and amusement. Oikawa buried his head in his hands and whimpered, because _holy shit_ , those were not the kinds of things he ever wanted to say in front of his parents.

“My, my, our little Tooru has become quite _promiscuous_ in Tokyo, I see,” his sister, Narumi, chuckled.

“At least I’m not the one who got knocked up at sixteen!” Oikawa rounded, voice raised to cover his embarrassment.

“Hey, watch your language in front of my precious son,” Narumi yelled back, covering Takeru’s ears in mock seriousness.

Takeru was eleven, and had heard way worse having grown up with his mum and two loud uncles in the house. The younger boy rolled his eyes, far more interested in his DS than the happenings of his family around him.

“Will you two ever grow up?” Oikawa’s brother asked, moving past his sister. He flicked Oikawa on the forehead, before turning his attention to Iwaizumi. “So, sex thing, huh? Tell me _more_ ,” he said innocently, leaning down to make their faces level.

Iwaizumi suddenly could understand why Oikawa Tetsuya was a Chief Inspector. The way he had asked the question was so _innocent_ , but his words held more power than Iwaizumi had ever witnessed before.

He was all smiles, very much a copy of Oikawa, only older, slightly taller, and with somewhat rougher features. He was smiling at Iwaizumi, which was unnerving because he looked like he wanted to kill him at the same time.

“ _Oniichan_ ,” Oikawa whined, shoving at his shoulders to move him away from Iwaizumi. “Stop intimidating him. It was a _joke_ , right Iwa-chan?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Oikawa’s father’s voice finally broke the silence. His tone of voice didn’t leave much room for argument.

If Iwaizumi had thought Oikawa Tetsuya was scary then his father was a force to be reckoned with. His voice was deep, not very loud, but impactful and Iwaizumi was fucking _terrified_.

“You do know what consent is, don’t you?” he asked seriously.

“Yes, sir,” Iwaizumi answered stiffly. He looked like he wanted to die of embarrassment. Oikawa definitely knew that _he_ wanted to die of embarrassment. He opened his mouth to protest, but his father put up a hand and Oikawa fell silent.

“So you make sure Tooru is okay with whatever you do?” he narrowed his eyes.

Oikawa felt his face get impossibly redder. From the corner of his eye, he could see the unreadable expression on his mum’s face, and the amused, poorly hidden chuckle from his sister. His brother had crossed his arms, standing next to his father with a very similar frown etched into his face.

“Of course,” Iwaizumi answered immediately.

“Otousan, just ask _me_ instead!” Oikawa whined

His father ignored him. “Have you ever hurt him?”

That was it – Oikawa was going to die of embarrassment. His family was going to be the end of his and Iwaizumi’s relationship. He couldn’t believe his dad was asking these questions so _seriously_. The extent of his caring aside, Oikawa was old enough to know how to handle himself and he didn’t appreciate being treated like a child. Sure, he was the youngest in the family, but he was an adult now. He was _responsible_ , and he wished his parents just trusted him enough not to embarrass him like that.

Iwaizumi gaped, aware of all the eyes on him. “I don’t believe I have,” he stuttered.

“You don’t _believe_?” Oikawa’s father repeated.

“I’m sorry, what I meant to say it that _no_ , I haven’t hurt Tooru,” Iwaizumi confirmed.

There was an awkward silence in the air for a few moments after that before Oikawa’s father took a few steps forward, nearing where Iwaizumi and Oikawa still stood. Iwaizumi swallowed roughly, thinking the worst, but then a hand clamped down on his shoulder supportively. “Good,” Oikawa’s father complimented.

Iwaizumi let out a shaky breath. Oikawa whined without care. Oikawa’s siblings guffawed in laughter around him, while Takeru moved aside to get away from their antics. At least his mum was smiling softly in their direction – the only show of support from the embarrassment in the room.

“It’s good to see you, Tooru,” she smiled, finally walking up and engulfing Oikawa in a hug. Oikawa hugged her back, hiding his embarrassed face in his mum’s shorter frame. She was quite tall herself, but thanks to Oikawa’s unfair height, he still had to bend down significantly. From this angle, he knew he looked like a child but after hearing his father question his boyfriend so bluntly, Oikawa wanted nothing more than to get away from everyone’s prying eyes.

“And it’s nice to finally meet you, Hajime-kun. Thank you for inviting us,” she added, gently nudging Oikawa to the side so she could embrace Iwaizumi in a hug as well.

Before Oikawa could ask what she meant by that, his father spoke up. “I take it you haven’t had breakfast yet? There’s a small restaurant in town that I saw on our drive here. We should go there,” he insisted.

Despite not wanting to subject Iwaizumi to _more_ time with his family, Oikawa’s stomach rumbled traitorously. He looked to Iwaizumi who nodded. “Let’s meet at the front in fifteen minutes,” Oikawa’s father instructed before taking his leave.

Everyone nodded their approvals and slowly trickled out of the room, leaving Iwaizumi and Oikawa alone. Without the others to distract him, Oikawa finally took sight of where they were. So maybe it was a ryokan, not an onsen: big difference.

When Oikawa saw bags scattered around the perimeter of the room that he knew belonged to his family, he had a feeling that they’d be staying longer than just one night.

While under normal circumstances Oikawa would have been _happy_ to see his family, after getting wholly embarrassed by the lot of them, he wasn’t so sure he was looking forward to whatever it was that Iwaizumi had planned.

“That was so embarrassing!” Oikawa complained, turning around and dropping his forehead against the wall in an attempt to hide his face. “I’m so sorry, Iwa-chan, I didn’t know that was going to happen,” he apologized.

“Hey, that’s okay, I don’t mind,” Iwaizumi said, coming up behind him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “And you couldn’t have known considering you didn’t even know your family was going to be here. Kind of a shitty surprise, huh?” he chuckled nervously.

Oikawa turned around at that and leaned his back against the wall instead, remembering what his mother had said to Iwaizumi only a few moments ago. “You called them?”

Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Remember how you said we should go to Mount Fuji and I suggested we go during the summer break? I thought you would enjoy your birthday present more if you had your family around you,” he admitted.

“My… _birthday present_?” Oikawa gaped. “But we went out for dinner and a movie – that was enough!” Oikawa insisted. The redness on his face had decreased and had been replaced with a pink glow for an entirely different reason. “You didn’t have to do that,” Oikawa said slowly. He couldn’t even believe Iwaizumi had remembered what they talked about from what seemed like so long ago now.

“I wanted to,” Iwaizumi smiled. “I’m sorry for embarrassing you,” he apologized.

“ _Me_? More like _I_ embarrassed _you_. Or well, my family did. I am so sorry,” he said again.

“Yeah, they kind of did,” Iwaizumi admitted, chuckling slightly. “But it’s okay. They care about you and I can understand that,” he smiled.

“I guess it comes with being the youngest,” Oikawa sighed.

It didn’t help that his siblings were also a lot older than him – the age gap between him and his sister was six years, while the age gap between him and his brother was eight. They had careers and were settled into their own lives, while Oikawa was still beginning his. They got along well but that didn’t stop them from teasing Oikawa mercilessly.

“How many days are we here for? Because I hope you realize this was just the beginning of the teasing,” Oikawa smiled nervously.

“Till Friday,” Iwaizumi confirmed.

Oikawa groaned. “Four whole days with my family and you stuck in a room together…” he trailed off with a sigh. “Fantastic,” he said sarcastically.

Iwaizumi’s face fell and Oikawa felt like he had been punched in the gut. “I’m sorry, this was a bad idea. We can go home,” Iwaizumi said earnestly. “I shouldn’t have tried to surprise you.”

“No, _no_ ,” Oikawa scrambled off the wall and tackled Iwaizumi into a crushing hug. The force of it had them falling to the tatami-matted floor. Iwaizumi held himself upright with his palms spread beside him while Oikawa hung off his hips. “Don’t apologize for me being an unappreciative dick,” Oikawa said seriously. “This was a good surprise – the _best_ surprise,” he insisted.

Iwaizumi smiled wryly at him. “You don’t have to lie to me not to hurt my feelings.”

“I’m _not_ ,” Oikawa said seriously. “I let my embarrassment, _your embarrassment_ , guide my selfish thoughts. This was so nice of you to do and I really didn’t deserve it – especially considering how I didn’t even thank you yet,” he frowned. “I’m happy you called my family and I’m happy you brought me here. Hell, I’m ecstatic about the fact that you even remembered our talk about Mount Fuji. _That_ means more to me than anything. This is far more than I deserve, so _thank you_ , Iwa-chan,” he said sincerely.

Iwaizumi stared at him silently for a while. Oikawa felt his stomach churn in anticipation. He really was happy that Iwaizumi had gone so far from him. “You don’t hate it?” he asked finally, eyebrows pulled down in thought.

“I _love_ it,” Oikawa emphasized, moving one leg over Iwaizumi’s hips to straddle him so he could use his hands to smooth the wrinkles in Iwaizumi’s forehead.

“Good, because it was _expensive_ ,” Iwaizumi teased.

Oikawa’s jaw dropped open. “Iwa-chan! You shouldn’t have done that,” he scolded.

“I’m kidding. Your parents paid for most of it,” he corrected. “You’re so spoiled,” he sighed, but the words were affectionate. He removed one hand off the floor, using the other to balance his weight and Oikawa’s, who was on top of him. He traced the outline of Oikawa’s cheek and jaw, cupping it lightly before pulling him in for a warm kiss.

“I’m sorry for being an ass,” Oikawa apologized again.

“You’re always an ass,” Iwaizumi smiled softly.

“ _Mean_ ,” Oikawa complained, but his protests were forgotten when Iwaizumi pulled him in for another kiss.

Oikawa grabbed a hold of Iwaizumi’s shirt, clenching it tightly between his fingers for leverage as he opened his mouth and met Iwaizumi’s tongue with his own. He didn’t even care that the door to the room was unlocked, and that they were supposed to be meeting his family in the front of the ryokan any minute now to head out for breakfast.

Not when Iwaizumi’s hand held his face so tenderly, and certainly not when Iwaizumi moaned into his mouth at the feeling of Oikawa’s fingers trailing over his chest.

“Hah– I win!” Narumi announced sliding the shoji across to reveal Oikawa straddling Iwaizumi’s hips, with Iwaizumi’s shirt halfway up his chest and Oikawa’s hands splayed across the exposed skin.

“What? No way, Narumi,” Tetsuya scoffed. “You’re lying – oh, I guess Tooru still has all his clothes on,” he sighed coming into view around the opening as well.

“ _You bet on me_?” Oikawa screeched, standing up and straightening himself out. Iwaizumi did the same, quickly pulling his shirt back down and standing up rigidly.

“No, I bet _against_ you,” his brother corrected. Oikawa couldn’t tell if he sounded disappointed because he had lost or because he had struck out on an opportunity to interrogate Iwaizumi.

“I hate you,” Oikawa deadpanned, but it was half-hearted.

“Come on, otousan is waiting. You’re lucky we decided to come get you instead of him. He offered to, you know,” Narumi winked. 

Oikawa flushed but he nodded. He grabbed Iwaizumi’s hand in his and tugged him out of the room behind his siblings. Even though his family had embarrassed him and Iwaizumi so thoroughly, he knew they liked his boyfriend considering they were here and making somewhat of an effort, and that thought alone put a wide smile on his face. 

They hadn’t tried to arrest him at least, which was the best sign Oikawa could ask for. 

He was worried Iwaizumi would pull his hand away when they got outside, but after the slightly lingering look Oikawa’s father gave their entwined fingers, Iwaizumi just tightened his grip, smiled sincerely, and walked with Oikawa next to his side all the way to the restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot to mention the time skip in the beginning but as you can see, summer is starting and we're slowly approaching the end *weeps* next chapter is actually my fav fav fav chapter of this whole fic so i hope you're here for that! <3
> 
> next time:  
> \- family bonding  
> \- throwback to chapter 3: _'“Well I’ve never really been much of a fan of the idea of sex in a car but I’d let him fuck me in it, on it, against it, whatever, any day,” Oikawa beamed.'_ <\-- if that's any indication idk what is
> 
>  
> 
> please leave me a comment or kudos if you enjoyed! the feedback feeds my muse and my soul ♡


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so tired today bc this entire week has been me + very little sleep so i sincerely apologize for the mistakes in this chapter! it's honestly my favourite chapter of this entire fic and i feel like... i didn't do it justice but *grumbles* i hope the context can make up for the shitty delivery.

After the initial, embarrassing encounter that Iwaizumi had with Oikawa’s family, things smoothed over. Breakfast was fun, relaxed even, considering the awkward talk Iwaizumi had been subject to with Oikawa’s father in front of the rest of his family. 

It took him longer than he’d have liked to loosen up, but with Oikawa’s hand, gently caressing his under the table, Iwaizumi relaxed. Oikawa looked happy too, which definitely helped Iwaizumi settle into maybe not ease but less discomfort at least.

Oikawa was smiling, talking animatedly with his parents, his siblings, and even his nephew, who now that they were out of the room and not talking about serious things was way more talkative. Iwaizumi concluded that he was a smart kid because at eleven years old, he knew how to react to situations even most adults had difficulty reacting to. 

The ryokan they were staying at was about a forty-minute drive from the base of the mountain, but it was located in a small town with traditional houses and markets lining the streets outside. Fittingly, breakfast was traditional as well, and after weeks of eating quick foods that could barely constitute a meal, Iwaizumi was grateful for the change.

The restaurant was busy, but not packed, so when they had finished eating most of their meal and only the tsukemono and other small side dishes remained, no one felt bad sitting back and enjoying one another’s company. 

“So, Iwaizumi-kun, what are you studying?” Tetsu, as Oikawa’s brother insisted he be called, asked him. He was sitting across the table from Iwaizumi, and although he had loosened up a bit since their first meeting, Iwaizumi still felt uneasy under his piercing golden eyes staring into him. 

“Mechanical engineering,” he answered politely. 

“Oh, _smart_ ,” Narumi cooed. “And you’re dating Tooru?” she teased. 

Iwaizumi felt his face heat up. Next to him, Oikawa protested loudly. “I’m plenty smart too,” Oikawa defended. “Just because you’re a doctor doesn’t mean you’re better than me,” he frowned.

Iwaizumi huffed a laugh, but upon seeing Oikawa’s petulant expression, he squeezed his hand under the table lightly, making Oikawa’s expression soften. 

“You wanna bet?” Narumi teased. 

“I can’t believe you’re an adult. _With a child_ ,” Oikawa shot back. 

“Hey, I’m a fantastic mother. Right, Takeru?” she asked her son sweetly. Takeru rolled his eyes from next to his mum but otherwise hummed in agreement. 

“Narumi, don’t tease your brother,” Oikawa’s father’s scolded, voice as firm as ever. 

Iwaizumi had somehow ended up in the unfortunate seat where Oikawa’s father was sitting perpendicular to him, at the head of the table, and Oikawa’s brother was sitting across from him. Even with Oikawa to his left, he felt a little on edge. 

“Aw, no fair. Baby Tooru always gets special treatment,” she sighed, leaning back into her seat. Oikawa looked like he wanted to argue, but upon noticing that his sister wasn’t going to say anything else, he yielded. 

Iwaizumi couldn’t help but think that it was nice having siblings and a large family. He was an only child and his parents only had one sibling each, so his cousins were few. They rarely visited, even though they were all spread across Hokkaido. His family wasn’t very close, but seeing the intimacy that surrounded Oikawa’s made him smile. 

“Anyway, why mechanical engineering?” Tetsu asked, rounding the conversation back to Iwaizumi. 

“My dad was also a mechanical engineer and growing up, he’d take me to work with him often. He designed and safety tested cars, and I guess I kind of fell in love with the profession watching him,” he explained. 

“That’s very mature of you,” Oikawa’s father complimented. Iwaizumi coughed, nodding his thanks embarrassedly.

“Thank you, sir,” he said politely. 

“Don’t be so stiff. You can call me ojisan if you’d like,” he laughed, noticing the way Iwaizumi sat rigidly upon being addressed. Iwaizumi felt the tips of his ears redden further at the comment. He hadn’t realized how _obvious_ he was being with his demeanour. “Are you planning on working at the same company when you graduate?” 

Iwaizumi shook his head. “I’d rather not. I mean, it’s a nice place, but my mum’s the Director of Operations at the Hokkaido branch and I’d rather not get special treatment because of her status,” he admitted. 

“And I suppose with your father working there too,” Tetsu added. “Ow, what the hell, Tooru? Why’d you kick me?” 

Oikawa narrowed his eyes, and Iwaizumi immediately understood what Oikawa was annoyed about. He turned and gave Oikawa a small smile before he shook his head at the question. “No, he doesn’t work there,” Iwaizumi denied. “For the past three years he was actually teaching at Hokkaido University, but he passed away last year.” 

The table fell silent. “Oh, Hajime-kun, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Oikawa’s mum said apologetically from Oikawa’s other side. Iwaizumi suddenly felt guilty for turning the mood sombre.

He shook his head, waving off the sentiment. “That’s okay,” Iwaizumi smiled. “You can’t fight life,” he chuckled nervously.

There was a collective hum of agreement before Narumi spoke up. “Are you _sure_ you’re my brother’s boyfriend? You seem too good for him,” she grinned, flashing a peace sign at Oikawa who had started whining in protest. 

Iwaizumi chuckled, letting go of Oikawa’s hand so he could slide his arm around Oikawa’s waist instead. “Yeah, he’s pretty great,” Iwaizumi agreed. Oikawa’s frustrations lay forgotten at the feeling of Iwaizumi’s warm arm around him and the sincere compliment that had come out of his mouth. 

He blinked, cheeks dusted in pink before he turned to stick his tongue out at his sister. “This is why my boyfriend is better than yours – oh wait, you don’t even have one,” Oikawa said triumphantly. 

Narumi rolled her eyes. “Who needs one when I have the only man I ever want in my life right here?” she asked cheekily, pulling Takeru in for a one sided hug.

“ _Okaasan_ ,” Takeru complained, when Narumi’s long, brown hair got in his face. She chuckled, pulling it back behind her ear, but maintained her hold around Takeru’s shoulder.

Oikawa’s older sister was pretty, and looked very much like Oikawa with her slightly upturned nose, high cheekbones and pale complexion. Iwaizumi had no doubt that if she really wanted a boyfriend, she would be able to get one with her objectively good looks, but it was obvious that she really cared about her son. It was selfless, and it made Iwaizumi smile, knowing that Oikawa’s family was as good as he had come to know that Oikawa himself was. 

They weren’t perfect, but they made Iwaizumi feel welcome. They joked and continued conversation until Iwaizumi was laughing along with them, feeling more relaxed about teasing Oikawa with his parents watching. 

Although Oikawa complained about the bantering, he seemed to revel in the attention. Iwaizumi almost chuckled aloud at the thought because that was _so_ Oikawa. He really was spoiled, but he was also kind, and compassionate, and so loving.

It was clear that he had good examples at home and had come to learn from them. 

He told Oikawa’s family more about him and his mum, and his home back in Hokkaido, and in turn, he learned more about them as well. Oikawa’s mum used to be a teacher, but she stopped working when his sister had Takeru so that she could finish school. She was a kind woman, and it was obvious that her kids all got their delicate, refined features from her. While Oikawa’s father wasn’t unhandsome, he had only passed down his brown hair and his height to all of his kids, and his broad build to Tetsu. 

Eventually, volleyball came up, which got Takeru’s attention. 

“What position did you play?” he asked Iwaizumi enthusiastically. 

“Wing Spiker,” Iwaizumi smiled. 

“ _Awesome_ , me too!” Takeru declared proudly. “Can you teach me how to spike?” 

“If there are volleyballs and a net somewhere, sure,” Iwaizumi agreed.

“Hey, what about me? I can spike too, you know,” Oikawa pouted. “What happened to you coming to me for volleyball help? Am I not your favourite uncle anymore?” 

“You were never the favourite uncle,” Tetsu reminded. Oikawa huffed at the statement. 

“Don’t worry, you’re still my favourite uncle,” Takeru stated, making Tetsu drop his mouth open in shock. The affirmation made Oikawa’s mood lift slightly, but his mouth still curved down sulkily. “Hajime-nii just looks stronger,” Takeru said bluntly.

Oikawa looked between Takeru and Iwaizumi, and his lips twitched in an almost smile, that Iwaizumi just _knew_ had to do with a thought about his arms, the way his eyes lingered at the sleeve of his t-shirt for a tad bit too long.

“Don’t be jealous,” Iwaizumi chided before Oikawa made an embarrassing comment. “You can set for us, how does that sound?”

Oikawa perked up at the suggestion and nodded fervently. “Okay,” he agreed easily. 

“Huh, I guess you really _are_ dating Tooru if you can put up with his frivolous moods,” Narumi laughed, which earned her a glare from Oikawa and a scolding from their mum, which she promptly rolled her eyes at. 

* * *

After breakfast, they changed into more appropriate clothes before they walked through the town. Oikawa pulled Iwaizumi along from shop to shop enthusiastically; Takeru insisted on going with them, and because Oikawa and Takeru were both accordingly too hyper together for Iwaizumi to handle alone, Oikawa’s brother decided to walk with them too. 

It was almost noon, but Oikawa didn’t seem to tire of going into every store possible, trying on the pretty patterned yukatas and masks. He insisted that they get a souvenir, but he was incredibly picky about _what_ he wanted so he made them go into _every_ single store. They were out for almost two hours, and in that time they had gotten around to maybe five shops, with the way Oikawa thoroughly checked through each one for the _right thing_ , whatever that was. 

Iwaizumi was pretty certain Oikawa just didn’t know what he wanted. He didn’t mind though, and the rest of their company didn’t either. Takeru, while stoic on the outside seemed to be just as enthusiastic as Oikawa about exploring everything. 

“Tetsu-nii, can you buy me this?” Takeru came bounding to Tetsu who was sorting through an assortment of hair clips. He held up a thin, leather bracelet, not unlike the one Iwaizumi had clasped to his left wrist. Iwaizumi was standing near enough to see what Takeru wanted and his ears flushed at the sight. 

“Why don’t you ask your favourite uncle?” Tetsu teased, but he held out his palm for Takeru to drop the item in it all the same. 

“Tooru-nii said he’d buy me anything _but_ that,” Takeru pouted. “But I saw Hajime-nii’s, and it’s cool, right?” 

“Hmm,” Tetsu nodded, eyes flickering down to Iwaizumi’s wrist briefly. “Cool,” he agreed. “Alright, I’ll get this for you, as long you make sure Tooru doesn’t spend too much longer in here. The shop owner is getting fidgety,” he bargained. 

Takeru nodded his consent and walked back to where Oikawa was. Tetsu turned back around to sort through the hair clips. 

“Girlfriend?” Iwaizumi asked. 

“Fiancée, actually,” Tetsu corrected. “Tooru didn’t tell you?” 

Iwaizumi shook his head. “He doesn’t really say much about you guys except that you know, you exist. I think he feels bad, in his own weird way,” Iwaizumi huffed a laugh. 

“Sounds like him,” his brother agreed with a small smile. “He’s awfully pretentious and loud, but when it comes down to it, he’s incredibly sensitive.” 

Iwaizumi hummed, because he _knew_ how sensitive Oikawa was. But his caring attitude towards those around him was what made him special. 

“He’s genuine though,” Iwaizumi added, feeling his face flush at the admission. He wasn’t sure why he was telling Oikawa’s older brother this, but something flashed in his eyes, and his shoulders relaxed as he grinned at Iwaizumi. 

“I’m glad you think so,” he admitted caringly. Maybe it was the age difference that made Oikawa’s brother so protective of him, or maybe it was just his nature. Either way, Iwaizumi knew that Oikawa was lucky to have the family he did. 

“I know that I called to invite Tooru’s family, but I didn’t know you were engaged. Otherwise, I’d have extended an invitation to your fiancée as well.” Iwaizumi apologized. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Tetsu waved off. “She’s actually in Korea right now. Her friend is getting married, and she’s a bridesmaid,” he explained with a heavy sigh. 

“That’s a bad thing?” Iwaizumi asked before he could stop himself. 

Tetsu quirked his lips at the question. He observed Iwaizumi silently for a little too long, and Iwaizumi thought he was going to chew him out for being rude, but then he laughed, loud and full. “Being part of the wedding party isn’t what’s bad. The fact that she’s going to come back with a billion new ideas for _our_ wedding is.”

Iwaizumi cracked a grin. “Good luck,” he offered. 

“Thanks, I’ll need it,” Tetsu chuckled. “Tooru gave that to you, didn’t he?” he asked, head jerking down to Iwaizumi’s wrist to indicate what he was talking about. 

“Uh, yeah,” Iwaizumi admitted, instinctively lifting his hand to rub at the back of his neck. The cold metal clasp hit his skin and it soothed the aching burn a little. “How’d you know?” 

“Tooru’s quite possessive,” Tetsu laughed. “He spoils Takeru rotten, so when he refused to buy him what he wanted, I figured it had to do with you,” he explained. 

Iwaizumi supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised by Tetsu’s deduction, considering that was a huge part of his job description. Still, he couldn’t help but admire how well the siblings really knew one another. 

Iwaizumi looked over to where Oikawa was at the mention of his name and grinned lazily at the fact that he was adjusting a Hyottoko mask on his face. He caught sight of Iwaizumi in the mirror and turned around to wave brightly in his direction. Iwaizumi was embarrassed by the display, but he lifted his hand and waved across the shop at Oikawa in turn, cheeks burning in admiration. 

“Cute,” Iwaizumi mumbled without thinking. 

He turned to stare at Tetsu, wide-eyed upon realizing that he’d voiced his thoughts aloud, but the other man was sporting an amused grin. 

“He _is_ pretty cute, huh? Guess that’s all part of his charm,” his brother agreed, patting Iwaizumi on the back supportively. “I’m going to go pay for these,” he motioned to the bracelet in his hand and a delicate, gold, flower petal kanzashi Iwaizumi could only assume was for his fiancée. “Takeru seems to be indulging Tooru rather than making him want to leave so I’m going to leave that task to you.” 

Iwaizumi laughed then nodded, as he stalked off towards his boyfriend and Takeru.

“Iwa-chan, will you like me even if my face turns like this?” Oikawa asked when Iwaizumi neared. He was still wearing that ridiculous Hyottoko mask. 

“As long as you have the skills to match the face, sure,” Iwaizumi quipped, referring to the myth of the lucky spirit. 

“How shallow,” Oikawa pouted, taking the mask off and hanging it back on the rack with the others. “I guess I shouldn’t buy this then,” he sighed. 

“What were you going to do with that anyway?” Iwaizumi asked amusedly. 

“Scare Bokuto, probably. He gets really high strung when we’re watching a scary movie and the slightest things make him jump,” Oikawa grinned. 

“You’re terrible,” Iwaizumi shook his head, hiding his amusement as best as he could. 

“Is this how you flirt?” Takeru asked, making Oikawa whine tetchily and Iwaizumi cough in embarrassment. 

“We’re not _flirting_ ,” Oikawa defended. “We’re just talking. Don’t be so rude, Takeru,” Oikawa snapped childishly. 

Takeru rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t making fun of you. I was just asking a question,” he elaborated. 

“Why do you want to know how to flirt? Got someone you like?” Oikawa teased. Iwaizumi hit the back of his head lightly in warning but Oikawa had already gotten that smug look on his face. His hands were on his hips and his eyes were practically _glinting_. 

“Don’t tell okaasan. She’ll just make a big deal out of it,” Takeru sighed. 

“Of course not. Oneechan ruins all the fun,” Oikawa agreed. “But as long as your crush isn’t Iwa-chan, your secret’s safe with me,” he nodded. “Your crush _isn’t_ Iwa-chan, right?” Oikawa added as an afterthought, eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

“Oi,” Iwaizumi chided. “We should go,” he prompted before Oikawa could say anything more ridiculous. 

“Tch,” Takeru tutted in disapproval as Iwaizumi led him and Oikawa out the store. “Hajime-nii is my uncle, that’s _weird_ ,” he said, sticking his tongue out. 

“What? No he isn’t,” Oikawa complained, although he looked happier at the admission that Takeru’s crush wasn’t Iwaizumi. 

“As long as you’re dating him, yes he is,” Takeru insisted. 

Oikawa huffed, but whether it was in annoyance or jealousy, or maybe annoyance _because_ of jealousy was beyond Iwaizumi. All he knew was that the look on his face was so fucking cute and Iwaizumi couldn’t resist bringing his mouth to his cheek and giving him a quick peck. 

“Jealous I’ll take over the spot of favourite uncle?” he teased. 

“You could never,” Oikawa insisted. Before Iwaizumi could retort, he had turned his head and leaned in to give Iwaizumi a kiss on the lips. 

“You’re so gross,” Takeru wrinkled his nose. 

“Kissing’s not gross!” Oikawa huffed. “Besides, if you’ve got a crush, you’ll need to learn that,” Oikawa sing-songed. 

“I’m eleven,” Takeru deadpanned. He trailed off after Tetsu who was waiting for them at the front of the store, two small, neatly wrapped boxes in hand. 

“You’re such a bad influence,” Iwaizumi laughed. He tugged at Oikawa’s hand until they were hidden in an aisle. “But, you don’t have to worry because you’ll always be my favourite,” Iwaizumi said quietly, watching the way Oikawa’s face lit up, upon hearing those words. 

He leaned in to give Oikawa a proper kiss, one that he knew he wouldn’t be able to give when they left the store and were out in the company of his family again. 

It was brief, and teasing, but when they parted and Iwaizumi could see the immediate red swell of Oikawa’s lips, he thought that maybe it was okay if they went a few more hours without touching each other the way Iwaizumi wanted them to. 

The sight of Oikawa’s slightly dishevelled hair, and Iwaizumi’s crumpled t-shirt didn’t go unnoticed by Tetsu however, who simply raised his eyebrows knowingly. Oikawa flashed him a grin and a peace sign before taking Iwaizumi’s hand in his and tugging him along the pathway back to the ryokan. 

* * *

Iwaizumi was surprised by how quickly the rest of the day passed by. Unlike breakfast that had started off tense, lunch was a generally lenient event. They ate back at the ryokan, courtesy of the inn, before exploring the rest of the facilities, then finally going to enjoy the onsen. 

The baths were spacious and large, and while they gave Iwaizumi a reason to be able to stare at Oikawa’s naked form, he wasn’t really able to enjoy it with Oikawa’s nephew, his brother and his father _right there_. 

So maybe he hadn’t thought this plan out very well.

But Oikawa looked happy and his face hadn’t stopped glowing since breakfast, despite any jabs or teasing comments that had been thrown his way. The sight was enough to confirm to Iwaizumi that despite the fact that he would be severely cockblocked, Oikawa was _happy_ , and that’s what mattered to him in the end. 

“Tomorrow we’ll climb to the summit of Mount Fuji,” Oikawa’s father announced over dinner. “We should set out early in the morning to avoid the crowd.”

“I’ll be sitting out,” Oikawa’s mum smiled. “Asthma,” she explained, when Iwaizumi cocked his head at her curiously. 

“And Takeru and I can only go half way with you,” Narumi said. 

“What? Not fair, okaasan,” Takeru complained. “I can get to the top, I promise I’ll be able to!” he insisted. 

“I’m not doubting your endurance,” she soothed. “I have to go to work on Wednesday so we have to go back home tomorrow evening,” she said smiling apologetically. 

“Leave him with us!” Oikawa insisted. He was earned a kick under the table by his sister, which Iwaizumi unfortunately felt the blow of too, because Oikawa had insisted on tangling their legs together. “Ow, I mean, I’m really sorry Takeru but you’ve got to listen to your mum,” Oikawa apologized. “But I’ll be back in Sendai next week and we can go climbing there,” he offered. 

Takeru contemplated the offer. “Is Hajime-nii coming too?” he asked bluntly. 

“I’m going home to Otaru for a bit,” he said slowly. At the sight of Takeru’s putout expression, Iwaizumi’s stomach coiled in guilt. “But, I can visit you later on in the summer, if that’s okay with everyone,” he asked around the table. 

“Of course, Hajime-kun,” Oikawa’s mum responded immediately. “You’re always welcome in our home,” she smiled.

Iwaizumi blushed, but it was forgotten as Takeru yelled a cheer. “ _Yes_! Okay, we can go home early now,” he concluded to his mother, in a way that reminded Iwaizumi very much of Oikawa. He stifled his laughter in his fist, and didn’t feel bad when the rest of the table did the same. 

“It’s a six hour climb, so make sure to go to bed early, and don’t wear yourselves out,” Tetsu reminded, looking towards Iwaizumi and Oikawa. “Not that you _can_ ,” he added. “We’re sharing a room,” he elaborated with a large grin. 

Oikawa looked around the table like he had just been smacked. Iwaizumi realized it wasn’t _ideal_ , but he could deal without touching Oikawa for one night. And besides, Oikawa’s parents had graciously paid for two rooms, so who was Iwaizumi to object how they divided up the participants. 

“This is so unfair,” Oikawa mumbled under his breath. 

“Tooru, don’t be rude,” his father scolded lightly.

Oikawa huffed a breath at having been caught mumbling, but when Iwaizumi ran his hand over Oikawa’s thigh and squeezed his knee comfortingly, he perked up slightly, at least until dinner was over. Then Oikawa was back to sulking as they trudged off to their rooms for an early night. His parents, Narumi, and Takeru were in one room, while Oikawa, Iwaizumi, and Tetsu were in another. 

Oikawa made sure to voice his loud complaints all through brushing his teeth and changing his clothes, and even when setting the futons out, which Iwaizumi ended up doing for him because he was going far too slow to get anything done. 

By the time Iwaizumi was tucking himself in, it was only 8 pm, but he was full, and sated and pretty fucking tired considering how long his day had already been. 

Oikawa purposely pulled his futon right next to Iwaizumi’s, while Tetsu pulled his as far away from them as possible. Given the small room, it wasn’t very far, but at least there was an appropriate amount of distance between them that Iwaizumi didn’t feel too awkward when Oikawa swung his leg over Iwaizumi’s hip and nuzzled his face into Iwaizumi’s chest. 

In thirty minutes, Tetsu was fast asleep, and Iwaizumi figured Oikawa was too, with the way Iwaizumi could feel him breathing softly on top of him. 

Iwaizumi _thought_ that he’d be able to deal with not being able to touch Oikawa, but apparently he didn’t have that much self-control. The proximity was driving him nuts, especially when Oikawa settled his leg deeper between Iwaizumi’s and he had to physically hold back a groan. 

He conceded with running his hands across Oikawa’s pale arm that was exposed under his green t-shirt, when he finally realized he wasn’t going to be able to get as much sleep as he wanted to that night. 

“Took you long enough,” Oikawa whispered quietly against his chest. 

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Iwaizumi whispered back, afraid that his touch had unsettled Oikawa.

“Nu-uh,” Oikawa shook his head in denial and Iwaizumi felt the tip of his nose brush up against his chest with the action. “I’ve been awake this entire time,” he admitted. “Although you seemed to not have noticed.” 

“You asshole, you’ve been feeling me up on purpose, haven’t you?” Iwaizumi groaned. He had been doing his best to hold back because he thought Oikawa was just moving around in his sleep. 

“Maybe,” Oikawa said vaguely. Iwaizumi knew that meant ‘yes.’ 

“We can’t tonight. Your brother’s right there,” Iwaizumi nodded his head in the direction of Tetsu, who thankfully was still fast asleep, even if he was too close for Iwaizumi’s liking. 

“It’s fine, he saw us naked in the onsen,” Oikawa said dismissively. 

“For fuck’s sake, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi shook his head. “That wasn’t the issue,” he sighed, caught between amusement and distress. 

Oikawa frowned at him, so Iwaizumi leaned in to kiss the pout off his face. But, when he pulled back, Oikawa’s face was still pulled down.

“Go to sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow,” he reminded. 

Oikawa grumbled for a few seconds before he shifted his weight and pressed his face back into Iwaizumi’s chest. 

Iwaizumi didn’t care if they woke up wrapped around one another anymore, because he was certain that no matter how much he tried to hold back, with Oikawa next to him, he’d end up pulling his boyfriend into an embrace at some point during the night, anyway. 

So he decided to not leave it to his subconscious and wrapped a protective arm around Oikawa’s back, using the pads of his fingers to trace the ridges of his spine.

It was silent for a few minutes, and Iwaizumi honestly believed that Oikawa had fallen asleep. The thought was enough to make him feel sleepy too, but of course that was too good to be true. 

Just when Iwaizumi felt a wave of tiredness wash over him, and he settled his face into Oikawa’s hair atop his head, Oikawa began to shift his thigh that he had draped over Iwaizumi’s front. 

“You’re ridiculous,” Iwaizumi huffed. 

Oikawa looked up at Iwaizumi, chin propped against his chest, eyes shining against the moonlight streaming in front the slits in the blinds. He looked almost ethereal, even paler under the glow, and Iwaizumi felt his heart stutter in his chest at the sight. 

“Fuck me and I’ll go to sleep,” Oikawa compromised. For such an angelic vision, he sure ruined it with his crude words. 

Iwaizumi sighed, before shifting Oikawa off of him. “Where are you going?” Oikawa questioned, confusion spread across his face when Iwaizumi stood up. 

“We’re not doing that here,” Iwaizumi deadpanned. “Car’s parked outside,” he said before quietly sliding the shoji separating their room from the rest of the inn open. Oikawa quickly padded out after him, sliding the shoji closed with ease. 

It was still relatively early and the halls were still littered with people coming and going into their own rooms, so at least they didn’t look _too_ suspicious. But with the way Oikawa immediately walked out after him, looking too happy to be considered inconspicuous; Iwaizumi felt his face heat up self-consciously. 

“Iwa-chan, will you really fuck me?” Oikawa asked, draping himself over Iwaizumi’s back and letting his arms fall slack against his chest. He leaned half of his weight on Iwaizumi while supporting the rest of his long-limbed self on his legs. 

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Iwaizumi challenged. He took Oikawa’s hands that were swaying across his chest in his own as they made their way out of the establishment. 

“I’m just making sure you’re not backing out,” he huffed.

“Sure,” Iwaizumi said indifferently. “Make sure to bail me out of jail tomorrow when I’m arrested, alright?” he joked. 

“Ah, that won’t happen,” Oikawa assured with far too much confidence. Iwaizumi figured he’d be lucky if there was even a bail placed on him at this rate. 

He couldn’t believe he was giving in to Oikawa’s whims. He really did have very little self-control when it came to his boyfriend, which should have been frightening, but it wasn’t. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t bring himself to really care about what he was wiling to do just because Oikawa _asked_ him to. 

After all, in the end, Oikawa returned that affection ten-fold.

The parking lot wasn’t as empty as Iwaizumi would have liked, but most people _weren’t_ spending their time in their cars, so Iwaizumi dispelled any wariness that someone would walk by. His car was parked far enough that the lanterns lining the walls of the ryokan barely reached them – bright enough to be able to see what they were doing, but dim enough that they hopefully wouldn’t be spotted. 

With the privacy of the parking lot, Oikawa was a lot bolder. Iwaizumi felt him drop more of his weight across Iwaizumi’s shoulder. He pressed his chest flush against Iwaizumi’s back, fingers pushing past the hem of Iwaizumi’s t-shirt to spread across his abdomen. 

“I’ve been wanting to touch you _all day_ ,” Oikawa admitted, nibbling the shell of Iwaizumi’s ear between his teeth. “You looked so good in the onsen, flushed from the heat _and naked_. Do you know how hard I was under the water?” he complained tetchily. 

Iwaizumi didn’t know it was possible for him to get turned on by Oikawa’s complaints alone, but something about the context had his cock stirring. 

“Yeah?” Iwaizumi questioned. “Well we’re alone now. Show me what you wanted to do,” he prompted, pushing Oikawa back against the door of his car before turning around to face him. It was likely uncomfortable but Oikawa didn’t seem to care and Iwaizumi sure as hell didn’t. Not with the way Oikawa was slowly biting his lip, making the skin turn red and plump, looking entirely enticing. 

Oikawa didn’t hold back at the prompt. He hooked his fingers into the elastic of Iwaizumi’s sweatpants, pulling him as close as possible before he deftly slipped his long fingers into his boxers. 

“Shit,” Iwaizumi hissed, because he hadn’t been expecting to feel Oikawa’s bare skin on his cock so suddenly. 

“Mmm, looks like you wanted to touch me too,” Oikawa hummed knowingly, pulling apart the waistband of Iwaizumi’s boxers and sweatpants with one hand while sliding across Iwaizumi’s quickly hardening length with the other. 

“Fuck, Oikawa, not out here,” Iwaizumi groaned, but he couldn’t find it in himself to push Oikawa away; not when he had been the one to ask this of Oikawa in the first place, and certainly not when he selfishly didn’t want to give up the feeling of Oikawa's hands on him either. Instead of arguing that maybe they should move elsewhere, he rested his head on Oikawa’s shoulder, breathing softly as Oikawa ran his palm over his cock. 

“Iwa-chan, please kiss me,” Oikawa whispered, and Iwaizumi was weak to do anything else. He grabbed Oikawa’s face with both hands, tilting it down to reach his lips. At the same time their lips touched, Oikawa stroked him harder than his previous, leisurely pace, and Iwaizumi involuntarily moaned into Oikawa’s mouth. 

Oikawa took the opportunity to pry his mouth open, slipping his tongue between Iwaizumi’s. But Oikawa was already in control in one place, and Iwaizumi would be damned if he let Oikawa have his way up there as well, so he pressed his mouth deeper against Oikawa’s, sliding their tongues together until Iwaizumi could freely glide his tongue through Oikawa’s mouth, guiding his where he wanted it to be. 

“ _Hah_ , Iwa-chan, you’re so mean,” Oikawa whined, breaking apart. His lips were covered in spit, and while it was objectively gross, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but lean in and swipe his tongue over their shiny exterior. 

Oikawa blushed at the action, pulling his hand out of Iwaizumi’s pants and wrapping it around his neck instead. “I want you to fuck me,” he reminded silently, mouthing behind Iwaizumi’s ear, sucking along the column of his neck. “Please? I’ll be quiet so no one will hear.” Iwaizumi opened his mouth to protest that _that_ wasn’t the issue but Oikawa beat him to it. “I’ll be okay tomorrow, I promise,” he insisted. 

Iwaizumi groaned, his brain deliberating somewhere between frustration and good sense. On one hand, Oikawa was flushed, and whining before him, sending him lustful looks and hot kisses over his skin. On the other hand, climbing Mount Fuji was a _six-hour_ trek and Iwaizumi really didn’t need to be grilled on why Oikawa, who otherwise loved running and hiking, was suddenly not able to keep up. 

“Get in the car,” Iwaizumi groaned, sliding Oikawa aside to open the back door. He pushed the front seats up, making room for Oikawa to lie down across the back and giving himself enough space to kneel in front of him. 

It was awkward and uncomfortable, but Iwaizumi was so turned on that he didn’t care if his knees would be sore tomorrow morning. 

“Are you going to fuck me?” Oikawa smiled over his shoulder before turning back to get into the car first. He bent over to crawl into the back, and Iwaizumi slapped his ass lightly, making him squeal. 

“I’m going to do _something_ , so don’t complain,” he said knowingly. 

Oikawa frowned, but then Iwaizumi was turning him over so he was lying flat on his back, one leg steadying himself on the ground while the other was bent and pressed against the window. 

“Lift up a little,” Iwaizumi prompted. Oikawa obliged, and Iwaizumi slid his sweatpants and boxers down his legs past his knees where they got tangled in his long limbs. Iwaizumi wanted to be able to run his hands down the expanse of Oikawa’s unfairly nice legs, but there wasn’t any room and the sight of Oikawa already hard and leaking distracted him from wanting to do anything else. 

Oikawa propped himself up slightly, leaning his back against the inside of the car door, using his left hand to hold onto the headrest to support himself. He gave Iwaizumi a curious look when he lifted two fingers to his mouth, but then confusion turned to realization and he opened up, coating Iwaizumi’s fingers in as much saliva as he could. 

“Iwa-chan’s so good to me,” he cooed when Iwaizumi pulled his fingers out of his mouth and began circling the tight ring of muscle around his hole. 

“I thought I was mean,” Iwaizumi smirked, quoting Oikawa from only a few minutes ago.

“Only when you– _hah_ ,” he paused as Iwaizumi slipped a finger inside him. “Hold out on me,” he finished, voice hitched. 

Iwaizumi chuckled, moving his free hand to lift up Oikawa’s t-shirt. He kissed the little bit of exposed skin, under his navel, around his cock that was lying heavy on his stomach. Oikawa whimpered sensitively beneath him and Iwaizumi added a second finger to distract him from Iwaizumi’s mouth. 

“ _Ah_ , Iwa-chan, _more_ ,” Oikawa moaned, pushing himself down on Iwaizumi’s fingers as best as he could, muscles spasming despite his pleas. 

“Relax,” Iwaizumi insisted. Oikawa didn’t know his own limits because although he wanted more, he was too tight and not nearly as easy to slide into without proper lube. Iwaizumi did his best to wiggle his fingers slowly, gliding them around Oikawa’s hole that was clenching down on him mercilessly. “Baby, you’ve got to relax,” he prompted again. He waited for Oikawa to do as he was told before he started moving again. 

When Oikawa’s little whimpers sounded more like pleasure than pain, Iwaizumi scissored his fingers, and Oikawa, taken aback by the suddenness of it, kicked hard against the car door. 

“Fuck, be careful,” Iwaizumi chided, because it sounded like he had hurt himself with the force of the kick. 

“Why? Will you be mad if I ruin your car?” Oikawa asked cheekily. 

“No.” He looked up at Oikawa from his spot on the ground, stretching his fingers again, watching the way the crooked smile on Oikawa’s face twisted into an expression of desire. “I’ll be mad if you hurt yourself,” he said sincerely. 

He didn’t give Oikawa a chance to reply, moving his mouth over the head of Oikawa’s cock, sucking lightly as his fingers fucked into him at the same time.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Oikawa cried, covering his eyes with his arm. Iwaizumi didn’t know why he was acting embarrassed _now_ , but it was cute, and it made him want to stretch him further until he could fit three fingers comfortably inside Oikawa. 

He felt Oikawa’s hole twitch around him, and he instinctively pressed in further at the action. His tongue laved languidly at Oikawa’s cock head, occasionally sucking with a slight bit of pressure to soothe the obvious sting behind him. 

Once Oikawa got used to the new feeling, he used the hand that was resting on the headrest to support him as fucked himself on Iwaizumi’s fingers. “Slow down,” Iwaizumi warned, pulling off of Oikawa’s cock. He pulled his fingers out of Oikawa at the same time, making the man above him whine in displeasure, from the loss of touch as much as from the burn. 

“Patience,” Iwaizumi tutted. He coated his fingers in the precum and saliva covering Oikawa’s cock. Oikawa peered down over his chest to see what Iwaizumi was doing and at the sight, his face turned pinker. 

“That’s so gross,” he complained half-heartedly. 

Iwaizumi hummed disinterestedly, continuing to move his fingers over Oikawa’s erection until they were warm, and sticky and slicker than they were before. He pushed past Oikawa’s entrance, seating three fingers inside him once again. They were easier to move with the added lubrication and Iwaizumi didn’t waste any time pushing Oikawa’s legs wider, digging his fingers in deeper and curling them against his prostate. 

“Fuck, _fuck_ ,” Oikawa cursed, hiding his face in his arm once more. When Iwaizumi stopped though, he pulled his arm aside, face glowing in the dim orange light that made its way into the car. “Don’t stop, _please_ ,” Oikawa cried, pushing his hips down against Iwaizumi’s hand in search of friction.

“I’ve got you, baby,” Iwaizumi murmured soothingly, pressing his fingers back in, curling them in the same spot that had Oikawa bucking up off the seat. He set a bruising pace, occasionally stretching his fingers wider, but mostly settling on curling them against his prostate and making Oikawa muffle out a moan. 

Oikawa had covered his mouth with his hand not too long ago, but when Iwaizumi saw the telltale twitch of his cock and he lowered himself to suck on it, one hand came off Oikawa’s mouth to tangle itself in Iwaizumi’s short hair, pulling him as deep as he could go without giving up his hold inside Oikawa. 

“Iwa-chan, _faster_ ,” Oikawa moaned, voice strained and hushed. Iwaizumi hummed, letting his teeth graze ever so lightly against the sensitive skin of Oikawa’s cock, tongue coming out to soothe the area immediately after. “Fuck, _holy fuck_ , I’m going to _come_ ,” he warned, bucking up into Iwaizumi’s mouth. 

Iwaizumi moved his fingers faster, pulling his mouth off slightly so his lips were wrapped around Oikawa’s head. He ran the flat of his tongue over the slit and sucked harshly – that was all it took for Oikawa to come in his mouth, crying his name in various pitches as he tried and failed to hold back his volume.

Iwaizumi didn’t even care if anyone heard them at that point because the sight of Oikawa splayed out in the cramped backseat of his car was _hot_ and he couldn’t get enough of his closed eyes, his warm cheeks, his dishevelled hair that was so _soft_. He took in everything as he pulled his fingers out of Oikawa and wrapped them around the base of his cock instead, pumping him through his orgasm. 

“Oh my _god_ – _Hajime_ ,” Oikawa cried, pushing himself up. He leaned in and kissed Iwaizumi immediately, open-mouthed and sloppy, running his tongue over Iwaizumi’s lips as he lapped up whatever cum and saliva was left, adding more of his own in the process. 

“Now who’s gross?” Iwaizumi teased, pulling back and begrudgingly wiping his dirty hand on his pant leg. 

“Shut up,” Oikawa cried. “Wait– let me,” he said suddenly, noticing how Iwaizumi had shifted his sweatpants and boxers down his ass, enough to be able to get a firm grip on himself. He _wanted_ Oikawa to touch him, but their positions made it difficult. 

He shook his head. “That’s okay, you can watch,” he smiled. Oikawa frowned, and Iwaizumi was weak to his pouting, so he stood up as high as he could on his knees, took Oikawa’s hand in his own, and wrapped it around his aching cock. 

“Your hand feels so good,” Iwaizumi groaned, trying his best not to drop his head down on Oikawa lap in the process. Oikawa perked up at the praise, and he tightened his grip around Iwaizumi, pumping him even faster. 

Iwaizumi was already achingly hard from watching Oikawa squirm beneath him, so it didn’t take him much longer to spill in his boyfriend’s hand. He watched as Oikawa grinned at him, before bringing his hand up to lick it clean when he was done. 

“Holy shit,” Iwaizumi breathed deeply, afraid that he’d get hard again at the sight. He pulled up his boxers and sweatpants before burying his head in Oikawa’s stomach, flopping against it carelessly. Oikawa chuckled, bringing his clean hand up to card through Iwaizumi’s hair. 

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said slowly, smile evident in his voice even though Iwaizumi couldn’t see it. 

“Hmm,” he acknowledged softly, basking in the sweet smell of Oikawa and sex. 

“Thank you.” 

“For what? Fucking you?” he teased. 

“No,” Oikawa shook his head. “For being the best boyfriend,” he said genuinely. 

Although he had said it right after sex, the honesty in his voice was obvious – Oikawa meant it about _everything_ , and Iwaizumi couldn’t help that his face heated up at the admission. His lips twitched and he pulled his head back up to take in the sight of Oikawa; he was smiling, bright and sincere, like Iwaizumi had just placed the entire galaxy in the palm of his hand, and the impact of it all blew Iwaizumi away. 

“And for fucking me,” Oikawa added, grinning cheekily. 

Iwaizumi stared at him – his bright eyes that were so warm and expressive, his soft face that moulded under the slightest show of emotion, his smile that absolutely _glowed_ when he was truly happy. 

“I know we probably ruined your car, but I promise to help clean it up!” Oikawa insisted. He bent down to pull his boxers and sweatpants that were still tangled around his knees back over himself. “You have to admit, that was pretty hot though,” he grinned. 

Iwaizumi nodded absentmindedly, not really paying attention to the buzz of words coming out of Oikawa’s mouth. He was speaking, and Iwaizumi was nodding, but nothing really stood out to Iwaizumi at the moment except how fucking _beautiful_ Oikawa was, and how damn _good_ he was at everything he did. 

“Iwa-chan, are you even listening to me? Are you mad at me?” he frowned. 

Maybe it was the post-sex high, or maybe Iwaizumi had known it all along. But before he knew it he had blurted out in a whispered breath, “I think I love you.” 

He noticed Oikawa’s eyes widen fractionally, and Iwaizumi almost wished he hadn’t said anything. But then Oikawa’s frown turned up, and his eyes glistened slightly, and Iwaizumi felt that maybe he hadn’t said the wrong thing after all. Oikawa took his hand in his, and brought his face down so close that Iwaizumi could count the three tiny freckles he had splayed across his nose. 

“You think?” he asked, placing Iwaizumi’s hand on his cheek and resting his own on top. 

Iwaizumi shook his head, even though he knew Oikawa was teasing. “I love you, Tooru,” he said again, this time louder. “Hell, I think I’ve loved you for a while now.” 

Oikawa pressed his lips against Iwaizumi’s own, kissing him deeply. He pushed their bodies as close as they could go, and Iwaizumi obliged, not wanting to know where the divider between them lay anymore. 

“I love you too,” Oikawa smiled when they pulled back. Iwaizumi brushed the tears that had slipped down his face, returning the sincere smile as widely as he could. “Fuck, Iwa-chan, this was so unromantic. You couldn’t have waited _one_ day, and told me at the top of Mount Fuji?” he laughed jokingly between tears. 

“You’re ugly when you cry so all your pictures would have been ruined,” Iwaizumi teased, leaning in to kiss away the stream of tears leaking down Oikawa’s cheeks, maybe adding a few of his own in the process. 

He was flushed, and crying, and they were sweaty from having sex in the back of a car, but Oikawa still looked fucking perfect, and in Iwaizumi’s biased opinion, there wasn’t a single thing he would have changed about the setting. 

“You can’t just tell me you love me and then call me ugly!” Oikawa complained.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t love you though,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “And you’re only ugly when you cry,” he placated, tracing the lines of Oikawa’s frown with the pads of his fingers until it turned up. 

“Okay, I’ve decided that we’ll tell people you told me you loved me after we climbed Mount Fuji,” Oikawa nodded, like they were talking about a business proposal. 

Iwaizumi laughed loudly, shaking his head at Oikawa’s ridiculousness. “But that’s lying.”

“You want to tell them it was after we had sex in the back of a car?” Oikawa demanded.

“Fair enough,” Iwaizumi admitted, chuckling slightly before he leaned in to kiss Oikawa again. His skin was soft, and his lips were wet and salty but he melted into Iwaizumi’s touch and Iwaizumi felt like he was drowning in the overwhelming sensation of it all. “Or, we could just not tell people anything at all,” he added, pulling back. 

“No way, I want everyone to know how much Iwa-chan loves me,” Oikawa declared. “And I want to tell everyone how much _I_ love him,” he smiled. 

Iwaizumi blushed at the honesty, pulling Oikawa into a tight embrace. They stayed with their arms wrapped around one another for a few minutes, before Iwaizumi begrudgingly pulled them apart. “We should go back,” he sighed.

“Okay. Let’s wash off in the shower first though,” Oikawa nodded with a laugh. 

“Hmm,” Iwaizumi agreed, mind still in a bit of a daze. He pulled the car door open and scrambled out, leaning an arm back in to help pull Oikawa out too. 

“Such a gentleman,” Oikawa cooed, making Iwaizumi visibly fluster. He took his hand though and pulled himself out, smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes before they were in the presence of other people again. Iwaizumi followed his lead and flattened his clothes too, but a sudden, deep voice startled him and made him drop his hands. 

“Hands up, motherfuckers,” Tetsu called lazily, leaning against the trunk of a car parked diagonally from them. His arms were folded across his chest, and he was wearing a knowing smirk. 

Iwaizumi felt the colour drain from his face. Oikawa on the other hand blushed profusely, hiding his obvious embarrassment in his hands. “ _Oniichan_ ,” he wailed. “Why are you standing there? Why did you even _come out_?” 

Iwaizumi didn’t care _what_ he was doing there – he just wanted to know how this was going to play out. He blinked, mouth suddenly dry and palms very sweaty. 

“You’re so _loud_ , Tooru,” Tetsu provoked, causing Oikawa to stomp his foot against the pavement childishly. Iwaizumi wished the ground would just open up and swallow him whole. 

“I can’t believe you just stood there and listened, you weirdo!” Oikawa shot back. 

“I didn’t, actually,” Tetsu shook his head with a small laugh. “I just got here, and I was talking about you being loud about your declaration of love,” he hummed. “What were _you_ talking about?” he asked, as if he _didn’t_ know what they had just been doing. 

He leaned his weight off the car, stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, and walked over to them. With the way Tetsu was looking at him, eyes slightly narrowed, Iwaizumi felt like a criminal. Tetsu didn’t say a word, and in the silence of the night, with the shadows partially covering his face, he looked way more intimidating. 

When he stopped right in front of Iwaizumi, Oikawa sucked in a nervous breath, that didn’t help calm down Iwaizumi’s nerves at all. Tetsu leaned in and clutched the front of Iwaizumi’s t-shirt tightly in his hand, not enough to be threatening, but enough to show that it _could_ be if he wanted it to. 

“So you love my brother?” he asked carefully. 

Not only was he taller than Iwaizumi – hell he was even taller than Oikawa who was already unfairly tall to begin with – but also, it was obvious that his line of work required him to train very hard. His face was delicate and soft with similar features to Oikawa’s, and completely misleading because his build was broader, tougher, just like his father’s. 

“I do,” Iwaizumi nodded. He didn’t know where that unwavering confidence came from, but saying the words to someone else reminded him that he really _had_ meant them when he said them to Oikawa. 

Tetsu peered at him for a few seconds, seemingly trying to make sense of what Iwaizumi had just said before he released his grip and stepped back. “Alright, I guess you do,” he concluded. “Now go shower and go the fuck to sleep,” he sighed, turning around and walking back in the direction of the entrance to the ryokan.

Iwaizumi let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding in. He was caught somewhere between relief and suspicion because that had been terrifying and too easy at the same time. 

“I am _so sorry_ ,” Oikawa apologized, fretting over Iwaizumi’s shirt, smoothing out the creases that his brother had created. 

“It’s okay, I meant it you know,” Iwaizumi smiled, lightly swatting Oikawa’s hands away. 

Oikawa beamed at him charmingly, and Iwaizumi felt his heart lurch at the sight. He took a hold of Oikawa’s hand and walked them back to shower off. 

His face felt like his face was going to fall off from how much he was smiling, and even when they changed into a fresh pair of clothes and settled back into their futons, now separated by Tetsu’s sleeping body between them, Iwaizumi couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> waaah so that happened *side eyes emoji*
> 
> next time:  
> \- climbing Mt. Fuji is a mission and a half  
> \- Oikawa-san is an unexpected romantic
> 
> pls validate me on this chapter lol since it's my fav i would really appreciate your input ;; ♡ comments and kudos are much appreciated!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so remember back in chapter 16 when Oikawa and Iwaizumi were in Iwaizumi's kitchen, making out and probably done more had they not been interrupted by Iwaizumi having to take a phonecall from his mother? did you ever wonder what _might have been_? lol well, wonder no more! 
> 
> [@iwaoi-sama](https://iwaoi-sama.tumblr.com/) on tumblr made this [**fucking amazing fanart**](https://iwaoi-sama.tumblr.com/post/165801344897/well-this-happened-thanks-to-the-wonderful) and i feel so b l e s s e d *prayer hands* y'all should go like/reblog the fanart and support my wonderful wife by following her blog and checking out her other artworks! ♡
> 
> and for this chapter: it's kind of a transition chapter of sorts... i just wanted to show the follow-up to the next day bc yes, it can be super awkward after saying i love you for the first time, but i didn't want it to be and in the most iwaoi-way possible i could think of, this is what happened c:

“Hey,” Iwaizumi bumped Oikawa’s shoulder gently. “Drink this.” He passed a bottle of water over to Oikawa, who took it happily and downed about half of it in one go. Their last break had been two hours ago and Oikawa had gotten this determined expression on his face since then, refusing to focus on anything but the climb ahead of them.

“Slow down or you’ll give yourself a stomach ache,” Iwaizumi chuckled, nudging bottle out of Oikawa’s hand before he could finish the rest of it off as well. He took a gulp, capped it, then nestled it back into the placeholder on his backpack.

“I’m so tired,” Oikawa sighed, not even caring about the people around him as he dropped the weight of his head on Iwaizumi’s shoulder unabashedly.

There were a couple of odd looks from other climbers resting at the hut along with them that were thrown in their direction but Oikawa closed his eyes and ignored them. Iwaizumi flushed, but otherwise paid no mind to the looks either, shifting his weight slightly so that Oikawa could fit his head better in its resting spot.

They had been climbing for about four hours, and they still had one third of the way to go. Oikawa wasn’t sure he was going to make it to the top with the way he was feeling – even though he would never admit as much to Iwaizumi or his family.

While he didn’t have _bad_ endurance – years of playing volleyball religiously definitely aided in that regard – he also had never made a hike for this long and on a mountain this steep. To make matters worse, the sun was right above their heads because it was nearing noon. Thankfully, the weather was cooler as they made it up higher, but it didn’t stop his head from feeling like it was going to burn up all the same.

Iwaizumi handed him a his own snapback that he had been wearing backwards on his head when Oikawa complained to him about that, but Oikawa was certain he couldn’t pull off the look, so he refused, derailing the conversation by casually hinting that it was Iwaizumi's fault for not packing his toque.

In reality, he was being stubborn and would have been so much better off just wearing the damn thing, but he didn’t want to take away Iwaizumi's protection, no matter how gallant his boyfriend was and to top it off, Oikawa was adamant against _looking bad_ , even though Iwaizumi told him he didn’t when he voiced his concerns.

Besides, Iwaizumi looked way better, and if Oikawa couldn’t pull off the look then he’d at least get to enjoy Iwaizumi in it.

“How’s your knee?” Iwaizumi asked, sliding his hand over the warm, black thermal leggings Oikawa was wearing under his running shorts. At least Iwaizumi had packed those correctly. Now that Oikawa thought about it, the only reason Iwaizumi had even decided to help him pack his clothes after he had scolded him for not doing it right the first time was probably so that he could pack their bags for the trip without Oikawa getting suspicious.

He blinked sheepishly at the memory, but the embarrassment was forgotten when he felt Iwaizumi’s hands slowly dig into the skin around his right kneecap. He stretched his legs out in front of him and nuzzled his cheek deeper into Iwaizumi’s shoulder as his boyfriend gently massaged the area.

“Feels good,” he mumbled. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Iwaizumi smiled back sincerely.

He shuffled over so Oikawa could sit more comfortably on the makeshift rock seat they had perched themselves on. Oikawa’s father and brother were sitting not too far off from them on a similar perch. They looked like they were ready to get back up and go, but no one wanted to push Oikawa knowing that he would likely overexert himself before he admitted to having reached his limit.

Narumi and Takeru had gone back down about an hour ago, and Oikawa almost wished they hadn’t because while his sister could be annoying, she was also chipper and the teasing was enough to distract Oikawa from how his knee really _was_ starting to ache.

He looked over at Iwaizumi who was frowning at him, seemingly deep in thought. “I’m sorry,” he apologized.

Oikawa quirked a smile. “What are you apologizing for?” he asked, tilting his head to the side to get a better look at him.

“I should have thought about the strain this would put on you. You told me about your injury and the healing process and I was being stupid,” he admitted.

“That was ages ago, I’m not that fragile, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa tilted his head, smiling wryly in Iwaizumi's direction. “Besides, I’m the one who suggested we come here, remember? If anything I should be thanking you for following through.”

“Sure,” Iwaizumi agreed half-heartedly.

He was still eyeing Oikawa’s knee with contempt, so Oikawa shook the joint, flexing it a couple times to prove that he was okay.

“It’s fine, I’m wearing my brace and it doesn’t even hurt,” he grinned, maybe a little too quickly because Iwaizumi scoffed at him in response.

“Liar,” he said immediately, but his tone of voice was caring rather than accusing.

“I like this,” he said sincerely, putting an end to any doubts swimming in Iwaizumi’s head. “I’m glad we decided to climb Mount Fuji. The mountains in Miyagi aren’t nearly as fun,” he assured.

Iwaizumi observed him silently for a few minutes before he nodded his head. He continued to trace his hands over Oikawa’s knee, using the pads of his fingers to gently apply pressure. Oikawa smiled, wide and sincere in Iwaizumi’s direction because while his knee had been starting to ache, having Iwaizumi care about him like that was making the feeling of pain go away.

Maybe it was psychological, or maybe Iwaizumi’s brief massage really _was_ helpful. All Oikawa knew was that in a matter of minutes, he was hopping back up and declaring that they move on, even if that meant the loss of Iwaizumi’s touch.

“Are you sure?” his father asked dubiously.

“I’m sure,” Oikawa agreed easily.

He could understand the doubt, but Oikawa wasn’t the same person he was three years ago. While he hated to lose, and hated to show his weaknesses even more, he understood that he had the support of numerous people around him. He still gave a little too much sometimes, but he was aware of his limits. The way he felt after his knee gave out that second time was a feeling he never wanted to experience again.

“Well, if you ever get tired I suppose Hajime-kun wouldn’t mind carrying you,” his father joked.

Oikawa blushed at the suggestion, but it seemed like Iwaizumi was even more flushed than he was. Whether it was at the idea of carrying Oikawa, or the fact that his _father_ had made the joke was beyond him. It was probably a mix of both though.

“Of course he wouldn’t mind,” Oikawa grinned through his embarrassment. “Iwa-chan loves me after all,” he added cheekily.

That earned him a shove from Iwaizumi, who immediately reached out to grab his arm and steady him when he threatened to lose his balance.

“I hate you,” Iwaizumi huffed, cheeks absolutely glowing in embarrassment.

“I think you meant _love_ , Iwa-chan,” Oikawa corrected smugly.

“You should never have told him that. Now he’ll just keep bringing it up to torment you,” Tetsu chuckled, moving past them to start the trail back up the mountain.

“Yeah, I kind of regret it now,” Iwaizumi teased.

Oikawa’s mouth dropped open at the proclamation. “You’re so _mean_ ,” he complained.

Iwaizumi pulled him into a one-armed hug to indicate that he had been joking, before sliding his arm down and around Oikawa’s waist to lace their fingers together. Oikawa was wearing gloves because his fingers were frozen, so he couldn’t fully appreciate how warm touching Iwaizumi made him feel, but knowing that Iwaizumi was holding his hand put a bright smile on his face nevertheless.

They climbed for the next hour and half in relative silence, keeping their conversations short to avoid running out of breath and taking more breaks than necessary. But once there were only about twenty minutes left to go, Oikawa felt his knee start to throb again with the increased steepness. The chilly wind nipping at his skin made him shiver and he felt the ache run down his leg.

Iwaizumi, to his credit, noticed that Oikawa was straining himself right away. He tugged Oikawa’s hand make him pause.

“What?” Oikawa frowned.

“Your knee’s hurting, isn’t it?”

“I’m _fine_ , Iwa-chan, you don’t have to worry,” Oikawa grinned, trying and failing to make his words sound convincing. It wasn’t hurting _that_ badly yet, and Oikawa certainly had felt worse before.

“You’re not _fine_ ,” Iwaizumi glared. “Don’t lie to me.” Unlike his earlier teasing voice, this time his tone of voice was definitely stern.

Oikawa’s face twisted down, as much in annoyance as disappointment because Iwaizumi was clearly angry with him. He smiled through it, which only made Iwaizumi’s face furrow further in anger.

Their delay was noted by Oikawa’s father and brother who were leading them by a few paces. “Everything okay?” Tetsu called, eyeing the strained looks on both Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s faces.

“Fine,” Iwaizumi responded gruffly. “Tooru’s knee is hurting so we’re going to rest for a bit. You can go on, we’ll catch up soon.”

Oikawa frowned at the suggestion, because Iwaizumi really did see right through him. With his dad and brother in the vicinity, Oikawa would have gotten back up too soon, even if that meant walking on an aching knee. The way Iwaizumi suggested that the other two go on ahead put a stop to that scenario from playing out.

Still, Oikawa didn’t like being the one to hold everyone back. He was _fine_ – there were only twenty minutes left at best. He could get up the mountain and just rest at the top.

But everyone else seemed to agree with Iwaizumi, much to Oikawa’s chagrin. He felt like a child with the way they were talking about him like _he_ didn’t have a say in the matter even though he knew himself best.

“We’ll meet you at the top,” Oikawa’s father nodded his approval. He patted Tetsu’s shoulder and they turned around to continue their trail up the mountain, leaving Iwaizumi and Oikawa alone.

“Why’d you do that?” Oikawa complained, as Iwaizumi nudged him off to the side to avoid getting in the way of other climbers.

They had passed by a resting area not too long ago, but Oikawa had insisted that he didn’t need to sit down then. The best they could do now was move out of the main path and lean against the rocky edge of a cliff.

Iwaizumi waited for the large group of people that had just appeared to pass by before he turned to face Oikawa with an annoyed expression. “What? Make you rest because you don’t know your own limits?” he asked tetchily.

Oikawa was taken aback by the curtness. He blinked his eyes owlishly in Iwaizumi’s direction before sliding down the rough dirt wall till he was sitting on the ground, legs stretched in front of him. Iwaizumi noticed the lack of reaction and he bent down next to Oikawa, moving his hand over to Oikawa’s knee like he had done not too long ago.

But Oikawa felt slighted, and if there was one thing he was good at, it was pushing people away when he was hurt. So he removed Iwaizumi’s hand from his knee and replaced it with his own, pushing his fingers down like he had done many times by himself after a hard day of volleyball practice.

He didn’t _need_ Iwaizumi to massage his knee for him, even if he was so much better at it. No, Oikawa could and _would_ do it himself, since he was such a fucking nuisance apparently.

“Oikawa, let me,” Iwaizumi insisted, voice uncharacteristically soft in comparison to his earlier gruff tone.

“No,” Oikawa said defiantly. He pushed Iwaizumi’s hands that had lingered on top of his away once more, turning his body slightly so he didn’t have to face him. It was childish, but he was angry, even _if_ he was wrong.

Iwaizumi didn’t try to reach out for his knee again, and while Oikawa should have been pleased that he listened to him, all that did was sour his mood further. He felt the other man shift besides him so he was lying against the rocky cliff as well, but he didn’t speak.

Oikawa could feel his eyes on him every few seconds and within minutes, he was feeling guilty for having treated Iwaizumi badly even _if_ he had been terse with Oikawa. He couldn’t stay angry with Iwaizumi for long, especially not when all his boyfriend was trying to do was look out for Oikawa. He hadn’t been annoying or overbearing – Oikawa was just being sensitive instead of appreciating Iwaizumi's care for him.

“I’m sorry,” Oikawa apologized softly, turning his body back so he could face Iwaizumi.

“That’s okay, I was kind of hard on you,” Iwaizumi admitted.

Oikawa shook his head in denial. “No, you weren’t. I was just upset because I felt like I was holding everyone back,” he confessed.

“I know you think that you need to be your best all the time, but you _are_ , no matter what you do, Iwaizumi said sincerely. “You’re not holding anyone back. Least of all your family, who knows you the best.”

“What about you?” Oikawa asked, biting his lower lip between his teeth.

“What about me?” Iwaizumi repeated, eyebrows scrunched together slightly in confusion.

“You said my family knows me the best, but what about _you_?” Oikawa clarified.

Iwaizumi’s face heated up at the question. Oikawa almost smiled at the sudden blush that spread across Iwaizumi’s tan cheeks, mixing in with the slight pink tint that was already there from the wind nipping at his exposed skin.

“I like to think I know you,” Iwaizumi sighed. “But you make it incredibly hard when you try to shoulder things yourself,” he admitted. “Don’t do that. You don’t have to pretend with me.”

Oikawa’s face fell slightly, but then Iwaizumi leaned in and kissed the frown away. He moved Oikawa’s hands away from his knee and replaced them with his own fingers. Oikawa let him ease the pain away until it no longer ached.

While he wanted to continue their climb and make it to the top to meet his dad and his brother, he also wanted to stay right there, on the dirty ground, with Iwaizumi’s hands kneading his skin softly between his fingers. Up there on the mountain, under the shade of the rocky cliffs and the warmth of Iwaizumi's body next to his, Oikawa felt like he didn’t need anywhere else.

“I love you,” Iwaizumi said suddenly, dipping down to place a soft kiss to Oikawa’s kneecap. He grinned when he saw the dumbstruck look on Oikawa’s face.

“ _Iwa-chan_!” Oikawa complained.

“What did I do?”

“You were supposed to tell me that when we got to the top! You haven’t said that to me all day and you say it _now_ of all times?” Oikawa gestured around to their surroundings. It wasn’t like it was an ugly sight, especially with them being so high up, but it wasn’t how he had _imagined_ it to be either.

“I’ll tell you when we get to the top too if that’s what you want,” Iwaizumi chuckled.

“That’s not how it works. You’re not supposed to say it because _I_ tell you to. You’re supposed to say it because you _want_ to,” Oikawa insisted.

He had been repeating those three words to Iwaizumi all day and Iwaizumi had only hummed, and kissed Oikawa every single time. Oikawa figured he was actually going to tell him again when they got to the summit, like Oikawa had teased him to do the night before, but apparently he was wrong.

Really, he shouldn’t have been complaining but he was jittery from the high of emotions and he was upset with himself for being a complete jackass, so the fact that Iwaizumi told him he loved him right after that made him feel even worse.

“What’s the difference? I told you the first time without your prompting so it’s not as if the meaning goes away now. I can say it whenever I want,” Iwaizumi laughed.

“But you _ruined_ it,” Oikawa pouted.

“I love you,” he laughed, watching the way Oikawa’s jaw dropped.

“ _No_ , _Iwa-chan_!” Oikawa scolded, putting his hand over Iwaizumi’s mouth.

“I love you,” Iwaizumi said again, moving Oikawa’s hand out of the way.

“Gah– stop it,” Oikawa whined half-heartedly, dragging the syllables out.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” Iwaizumi laughed, kissing Oikawa’s cheek after every confession. “And I’ll tell you as many times as I want, _whenever_ I want,” he added, smiling at the way Oikawa’s face lit up.

“You’re the worst,” Oikawa pouted, face unbearably red from embarrassment.

“Should I stop saying it altogether then?” Iwaizumi questioned.

“ _No_ ,” Oikawa cut him off.

“Make up your mind,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes weakly. Oikawa shoved his shoulder lightly, but he was smiling and he certainly felt better – both his knee and his mood had improved. He didn’t want to get up, but the thought of finally being at the top of the mountain was enough to make him give in.

Iwaizumi noticed his shift, and he pushed himself off the ground. “You good now?”

“Yes,” Oikawa smiled sincerely. Iwaizumi returned the look and Oikawa’s heart almost melted at the sight. “Help me up, please?” he asked teasingly, stretching his arms out wide in front of him for Iwaizumi to grab on to. He had mostly been joking, but then Iwaizumi clasped Oikawa’s hands in his own and tugged him into a standing position.

“So strong,” Oikawa cooed. “Does this mean you’ll carry me too?” he hummed, moving around to press his weight against Iwaizumi’s back briefly.

“If you want,” Iwaizumi responded seriously.

“What?” Oikawa asked, stunned. “I was just joking,” he waved off, pushing himself off of Iwaizumi’s back to come around to his side.

“Alright,” Iwaizumi agreed. He laced his fingers with Oikawa’s once again and tugged on his hand gently to guide him back on the trail.

With Oikawa feeling in much better spirits, the twenty minutes it took to get to the top passed by with ease.

When they got to the summit, it was crowded with people – some Oikawa recognized from the hike up, and others he assumed had been there for much longer. He couldn’t blame them though, when he caught sight of the breathtaking view in front of him.

Beyond the crowd, he could see the horizon, lined with clouds of varying shades of grey; they littered the light blue sky, bright and shining thanks to the peak of the sun right above their heads.

“Let’s go closer,” Iwaizumi urged, noticing the happy look on Oikawa’s face.

Oikawa agreed, letting his boyfriend pull him closer to the edge so he could see the expanse of land below. They were too far up to really make anything out, but Oikawa could still see the patches of land and the beautiful lakes surrounding the mountain.

“Look, Iwa-chan, we can see _everything_ ,” he smiled, pulling Iwaizumi closer to his side.

“I know,” Iwaizumi responded amusedly.

“Where’s oniichan and otousan? I want to take a picture!” Oikawa cried turning his head around to search through the crowd, but his eyes landed on a different sight and he got distracted halfway through his search. “Oh! Look, there’s a good spot there,” he waved enthusiastically, tugging Iwaizumi’s hand in the direction of an opening with a particularly nice view behind it.

“I thought you wanted to find your dad and your brother first,” Iwaizumi reminded.

“In a bit, in a bit,” Oikawa waved off, contradicting his earlier statement. “Iwa-chan, please take a picture of me?” he asked, handing his phone to Iwaizumi before he could even respond.

As if Iwaizumi was going to say anything other than ‘yes’ anyway. He took the phone and slid open the camera.

“You have to take good ones,” Oikawa reminded. “Make sure to press down on the screen to lock in on my face so it’s not blurry,” he added.

“Yeah, yeah, I know how to take a picture,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. But he was smiling, because Oikawa looked so _happy_ , and proud that they had made it all the way up. Iwaizumi grinned back, mirroring the look of content on his face.

He couldn’t help himself when he pressed the camera button one too many times, revelling in the way Oikawa looked with his hair catching the light of the sun above them, slightly windblown from the breeze and his face, shining pink from happiness as much as exertion.

“Are you done?” Oikawa frowned, and Iwaizumi captured another picture because he looked too fucking cute for Iwaizumi to let an opportunity like that go to waste.

“No, it’s blurry,” Iwaizumi lied. Oikawa pouted but then went back to posing with the mountainous horizon behind him. Iwaizumi snorted when his poses became increasingly sillier, but he let himself take all the pictures all the same.

“Iwa-chan, come on, I’ll just get oniichan to take pictures if you’re going to be so bad at them,” Oikawa frowned, finally moving away from his spot to take the phone out of Iwaizumi’s hand. His jaw dropped at the sight of his camera roll, filled with perfectly good photos. “Oh my god, Iwa-chan, why’d you keep telling me they looked bad?”

“You like them?” Iwaizumi smiled.

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa agreed.

“Me too. All of them. You looked too good to just pick a few moments.”

“You can’t just say things like that!” Oikawa whined, throwing his hands around Iwaizumi’s neck and pulling him in for a crushing hug, if only so he could hide his growing embarrassment in Iwaizumi’s neck.

“I knew I heard Tooru’s whining,” Tetsu teased, making Oikawa pull away. “And I see he already got you to take a million pictures of him,” he added, pointing to Oikawa’s unlocked phone.

“I didn’t ask for all of them,” Oikawa insisted. He turned to give Iwaizumi a wicked grin before adding, “He took them because I looked so good he couldn’t stop. Ow, _Iwa-chan_ , that hurt,” Oikawa pouted when Iwaizumi punched his arm.

“That’s the last time I ever compliment you,” Iwaizumi huffed half-heartedly.

“No fair – otousan tell him that’s not fair,” Oikawa said childishly.

His father shook his head in amusement but ignored Oikawa’s protests. “Have you been up here for long?”

“No, we got here about five minutes ago,” Iwaizumi admitted.

“There are a couple of good spots around the bend. We can take pictures there,” he continued.

Oikawa perked up at the mention of taking pictures, his previous pout forgotten. His father led the way and when they arrived at their destination, Oikawa’s eyes went impossibly wide. “Whoa, it looks like we’re even higher from here,” he admired, leaning over as far as he could go without the feeling of falling catching up to him.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” his father asked. Oikawa smiled, and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but admire how much Oikawa was loved by everyone, when he saw his father pat his hair affectionately.

“You’ll take a picture with me, right?” he asked his dad.

“Of course,” he nodded.

“Good, let’s take a selfie,” Oikawa beamed. “You have to throw your hands up like this. Make a peace sign, otousan, it’s _cute_ ,” Oikawa insisted.

For such an important man whose reputation was built on his unwavering strength and power, he really could only succumb to Oikawa’s charm.

“He’s so ridiculous,” Tetsu sighed from next to Iwaizumi. He had his arms folded across his chest and was watching Oikawa guide their father’s hand to the pose he wanted.

“He just gets unbelievably excited about the smallest things,” Iwaizumi agreed. He was watching Oikawa with admiration, and once Oikawa was done taking pictures with his dad, he beamed in Iwaizumi’s direction.

No one objected to Oikawa’s whims, least of all Iwaizumi who was just happy taking in the sight of Oikawa’s unbelievably ecstatic face. His cheeks were permanently tinted pink from the delight, and it made Iwaizumi want to kiss the colour away.

Iwaizumi took a picture of the trio, and although he insisted that he didn’t need to be a part of their group picture, Oikawa denied the sentiment and went off in search of someone who could take a photo of the four of them together.

He was happy, standing between Oikawa and his father, but when the kind lady taking their photo put up her hands to count down the seconds, his face unbelievably widened at the feeling of Oikawa’s father’s arm wrapped around them both.

When Oikawa was satisfied, and had pulled them all to every single good location for taking photos he could find, he handed his phone back to his brother one last time. “Take a picture of Iwa-chan and I,” he insisted.

“We already took a bunch of photos together,” Iwaizumi reminded.

“I want a cute one though,” Oikawa pouted.

“I don’t even know what that means,” Tetsu laughed.

“Me neither,” Iwaizumi admitted. Oikawa shot him a withering look in response.

“Give the phone here, Tetsuya,” Oikawa’s father instructed. Tetsu shrugged and handed Oikawa’s phone over. “That’s a nice spot over there. The sun will be in front of you so the picture will come out well,” he explained.

Oikawa beamed in response and followed his father to where he wanted him to stand. He beckoned Iwaizumi over to his side, and took Iwaizumi’s arm to wrap around his waist when he was standing next to him.

The two cairns made of mismatched rocks of varying shades of brown and grey on either side of them made the spot look like it was made for taking pictures. It probably was, considering the manmade pile, but they were stacked naturally enough that they looked like they belonged. The rocks made it to their waists, and around them was a scattering of small pinkish-purple flowers, too hindered by the cold winds to really grow, but somehow managing to make it up slightly past the ground anyway.

“Hajime-kun,” Oikawa’s father called.

Iwaizumi’s attention was snapped from taking in their surroundings to the man who had spoken to him. “Yes?”

“Move in closer,” he chuckled. “You look like you’re trying too hard,” he smiled gently.

Oikawa hid his laughter behind his palm, while Iwaizumi’s face lit up profusely. He nodded his consent and loosened his shoulders, tugging Oikawa so that their hips were side by side without an inch of space between them. Oikawa immediately moved his hand to wrap around Iwaizumi’s waist, letting his fingers fall loosely on Iwaizumi’s hip. Iwaizumi mirrored his action, placing his own hand on Oikawa’s hip

“Now smile.” He lifted his hand up, counting down from five.

Iwaizumi didn’t know what got into him but he glanced to the side and noticed Oikawa’s beaming face gazing ahead at the camera. He looked so ecstatic and beautiful, like he belonged up there on the mountain because of how extraordinarily breathtaking he was. His teeth were flashing wide and sincere, his hair was windswept and his cheeks were flushed pink.

Iwaizumi turned his head and leaned his face in so his nose brushed Oikawa’s cheek, mesmerized by the sight.

He felt Oikawa shiver beneath the touch, mouth falling from a smile into a surprised ‘o’ but before he even had the chance to ask Iwaizumi what he was doing, Iwaizumi whispered, just loud enough for Oikawa to hear, “I love you.”

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa scolded, turning his head around to face Iwaizumi. He knew he had told Iwaizumi to tell him at the top of the summit, but he hadn’t actually been _serious_ about. At hearing the declaration, his face had gone impossibly redder, but he was glowing and his eyes were shining, reflecting the sunlight above them.

“There,” Oikawa’s father announced, bringing their attention back towards him. He extended the hand holding Oikawa’s phone out towards them.

“ _What_?” Oikawa cried. “You took the picture? I wasn’t even ready, I probably looked terrible!” he pouted.

“It looks nice. I took two actually.” He handed Oikawa’s phone back to him for him to check the photos out. Iwaizumi peered over Oikawa’s shoulder to look at them too, and hopefully take the phone out of Oikawa’s hand in case he decided to delete them.

He had nothing to worry about though, because Oikawa’s thumb hovered nowhere near the trashcan symbol.

Oikawa felt his heart soar at the sight of the first picture, with Iwaizumi’s face pressed to his cheek, his mouth slightly open, mid-way through saying something – Oikawa’s own face was pink and faintly agape, shock filling his eyes at the unexpectedness of Iwaizumi’s sentiment. The sky was varying shades of light blue, the colours heightened by the sun shining brightly, and it made the blush on their faces stick out even more.

He couldn’t help but admit that he had wanted a cute picture, and that picture was definitely _cute_.

The second photo made him impossibly happier – the one taken after Oikawa had turned his head to scold Iwaizumi for _ruining their pose_. He noticed the way Iwaizumi was smiling at him, earnest and open, and despite his embarrassment, Oikawa returned the look wholeheartedly.

He honestly couldn’t believe his father had taken both photos and deemed them _nice_.

“Do you like them?” Oikawa smiled sunnily at Iwaizumi through the question.

“I do,” he nodded, even though he was embarrassed at seeing the position they were in from a third party perspective. “Cute,” he added, making Oikawa’s face light up ridiculously brighter.

“Thank you, otousan,” Oikawa hugged his father tightly.

He ruffled Oikawa’s hair affectionately. “You’re welcome. Now, are you satisfied with your pictures or do you want to stay up here longer?”

Oikawa grinned cheekily. “We can head back down now,” he agreed.

They decided to rest a bit before making their way down, which would be a lot easier than the uphill climb, but Oikawa hadn’t stopped bouncing around since the moment they made it to the top and even if he didn’t notice it, he would definitely feel the effects of putting so much pressure on his knees later.

“Send them to me when you have signal,” Iwaizumi prompted.

“The pictures?” Oikawa asked thoughtfully.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi smiled.

“Okay,” Oikawa agreed easily. They were walking a few paces behind his father and brother, just like they had been on their climb up. Oikawa liked it better this way so he could hold Iwaizumi’s hand and not have to worry about the embarrassment deterring either of them.

But after the two pictures his father had taken, Oikawa wasn’t sure anyone really cared about the public display of affection anymore.

Still, he enjoyed the small bit of privacy between them.

“Thanks, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said cheerfully, squeezing Iwaizumi’s hand between his own along with the words.

“For what?” Iwaizumi asked amusedly.

“For keeping your promise about coming to Mount Fuji during the summer break, for inviting my family here with us, for making me feel like the most special person in the world,” he listed off. “For _loving me_ ,” he added cheerfully.

“You don’t have to thank me for that,” Iwaizumi insisted, face flushing at the honesty.

“I _do_ ,” Oikawa nodded. “I’ve never had anyone else do something like this for me before, care about me this much before,” he admitted.

Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa’s hand to tug him closer, and leaned his face in to kiss Oikawa’s cheek briefly. “You’re pretty fucking amazing, you know that?” he said honestly.

The sun was past its peak and although it wasn’t setting just quite yet, it _was_ starting to dip below the horizon. The weather had grown chillier, even though they were slowly making their way closer to the ground and it made Oikawa shiver, as much from the temperature as from Iwaizumi’s words.

“I love you, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa smiled, leaning his head into the crook of Iwaizumi’s neck.

It made them slow down their pace slightly, compromised by their legs knocking into one another every few seconds but in that moment, Oikawa wanted nothing more than for time to freeze.

“Me too,” Iwaizumi replied easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so let me tell you what happened to me in the lab yesterday. i was trying to get a dirty needle off and replace it with a clean one and thankfully i did manage to get the dirty one off w/o a problem but as i was trying to get the clean one on, my hand slipped and well, hello deep stab wound on my finger ;; it wasn't a huge gash, but it was pretty deep so i was bleeding everywhere and my finger is super bruised >.< so the point of this long ass story is that i can't exactly type properly so pls excuse my typos ;; i had a v hard time editing this week's chapter bc of it ;;
> 
> also!! i noticed a few chapters ago i wrote 'copy' instead of 'cop' oh my god guys, you know you're allowed to tell me when i fuck up that badly, right? don't feel bad about pointing things out to me!! i edit on my own mostly, so i fully understand that there will be mistakes and it's ok for you to tell me that they are there! ^^
> 
> next time:  
> \- back to Miyagi for Oikawa  
> \- how to deal with missing your boyfriend - a guide by Oikawa Tooru
> 
> please leave me a comment and kudos! i really do appreciate the feedback and it also makes me happy ♡


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have like zero things to report for this week except that i feel dead inside from staying at school for long hours ;; both my experiments this week went to shit for different reasons and ugh, it's such a waste of my time, effort and of resources and i feel really bad ;;
> 
> i've been really bad at answering comments lately too, and i sincerely apologize for that but school is kicking my butt and i don't want to give half-assed responses when people take the time to actually comment so please don't think i'm ignoring you!! i want to give you the attention you deserve <3

It had been a week and half since Oikawa had been back home, and he was bored out of his fucking mind. 

It wasn’t even like he didn’t have anything to do: he had been keeping busy between visiting various family members, taking Takeru to his volleyball games and practicing with him when his nephew wasn’t in school or doing homework, as well as volunteering at Takeru’s volleyball club, and going back to his old high school to visit his kouhai and help out there whenever he could. 

Still, without Iwaizumi’s presence, Oikawa found life a little dull. He had gotten accustomed to having some physical aspect of Iwaizumi in his life – however brief it was – every day, and now that they had a distance separating them, Oikawa realized that he would never have lasted a whole month without seeing his boyfriend like he was trying to convince himself that he was capable of before the break had started. 

They had spoken to one another on the phone often enough that Oikawa shouldn’t have been feeling lonely, but the last time Iwaizumi called him had been two nights ago, while he was out with Hanamaki and Matsukawa from the sounds in the background, as well as some other people. It sounded like the call was accidental though, or not completely intentional, from the way Iwaizumi’s words were slurred and half of what he said didn’t even make sense. 

He had also hung up pretty quickly, apologizing half-heartedly before laughing at something someone else had said to him. 

Oikawa wasn’t _annoyed_ about the drunk call… he was more so jealous that Iwaizumi was having fun without him. 

But that was a terrible thought to have, and the moment it crossed Oikawa’s mind, he felt guilt wash over him and settle deep within his stomach. It didn’t help that Iwaizumi hadn’t called him since, which just made all sorts of unrealistic flood his brain. 

“Suga, I’m a terrible person,” Oikawa complained, throwing his head back against the couch. His legs were brought up to his chest; he was a little uncomfortable with his long legs tucked too close to his torso, but Oikawa couldn’t really care to fix his position. 

“I mean, I know, but what did you do now?” Suga asked, nudging Oikawa’s arm and placing a glass of cold lemonade in his hand.

At least being back home meant he had _some_ people to hang out with… even if those people happened to be Suga and Daichi who made Oikawa feel like a third wheel. Not intentionally of course, and under other circumstances, Oikawa would find them cute, but he _was_ bitter about not having his boyfriend within walking distance. 

Today though, Daichi was out on a day trip with his parents and Suga had asked if Oikawa wanted to hang out. They had initially planned on going to the market that was still attracting tourists even though Tanabata was over, but it was too hot outside, so they decided to wait until nightfall when the weather cooled down a bit. In the late afternoon sun, there wasn’t much to do other than bask in the cool comfort of an air conditioned home. 

“You’re not supposed to agree with me,” Oikawa frowned. “And I didn’t _do_ anything,” he wrinkled his nose in distaste. “I just miss Iwa-chan,” he admitted, hiding his flush in the glass he brought to his lips. 

He hated how desperate and whiny the confession made him sound, but if he couldn’t admit how he felt to one of his closest friends, then who else was going to hear him out? 

Suga chuckled, nudging Oikawa aside to sit on the couch next to him. “You’re allowed to miss him, you know,” he smiled. 

“But I feel like I’m being clingy,” Oikawa admitted. “I wanted to call him yesterday, but he sounded pretty drunk the night before so I figured he was hungover, and I decided against it. Then I got all pissy because _he_ didn’t called _me_ ,” Oikawa sighed, gulping down the cool liquid. “Did you add something different?” he asked, noticing the slightly sweeter taste. 

“Hmm, well at least you’re being honest,” Suga shrugged. “And I had some leftover pineapple juice that no one was going to drink. You don’t like it?” 

“Nu-uh, it tastes good,” Oikawa nodded, finishing the glass off quickly. 

He placed the empty glass on the coffee table and turned the tv on, flipping through the channels aimlessly. There was nothing good on, so he settled on a black and white animation of an old Western movie he had no interest in, but left running so that it provided _some_ background noise. 

Oikawa didn’t like when it was too quiet, and with the house empty considering Suga’s parents were at work and he didn’t have any siblings, it was painfully silent. 

“We can watch something else,” Suga laughed, noticing Oikawa’s frown. 

“That’s fine, I didn’t want to watch anything anyway,” he shrugged. Oikawa handed the tv remote over to Suga in case he wanted to watch something specific, but Suga just placed the remote next to Oikawa’s empty glass on the coffee table, ignoring the tv as well. 

“I miss him,” Oikawa complained. 

“So you’ve said,” Suga chuckled. “Isn’t Iwaizumi coming to visit you next week?” 

“Yes,” Oikawa frowned. “But that’s _next_ week,” he emphasized. 

“You can manage that,” Suga rolled his eyes. 

“Easy for you to say. You get to see your boyfriend basically _every_ _day_ ,” Oikawa countered. 

“Alright, fair enough,” Suga admitted, knowing he wasn’t going to win against Oikawa with that argument. “But instead of complaining to me, why don’t you just call Iwaizumi? I’m sure he misses you too,” Suga reasoned. 

Oikawa chewed his bottom lip hesitantly. “How do you know?” 

Suga gave him a deadpan look. “Didn’t you say he told you he loved you?” he raised his hands disbelievingly. 

“So?” Oikawa questioned, unsure where Suga was going with his question. 

“ _So_ , if he says he loves you then he probably means it, and if he means it, then he misses you too, you dumbass,” Suga chided, nudging Oikawa’s shoulder with his own lightly. “Call him and _talk to him_. You’re just mad he was drunk without you considering how handsy he gets,” Suga teased knowingly.

Oikawa flushed at being caught out. “I take back what I said earlier. I’m not a terrible person – _you_ are,” he huffed, but he was smiling, mood having improved slightly. 

“Don’t worry, I’m sure the only person he wanted to touch was still you,” Suga added.

“I wasn’t worried about that, thank you very much,” Oikawa snapped. 

“Now you are,” Suga quipped unhelpfully. 

“Remind me again why I agreed to hang out with you?” 

“Because I’m a wonderful presence to be around,” Suga said easily. 

“Sure,” Oikawa rolled his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that.”

Suga laughed, but didn’t fight it. As much as Oikawa missed Iwaizumi, he did enjoy hanging out with his friends. Being back home was nice, and not having any responsibilities was also nice. Thankfully, they had enough people staying at school during the summer break or living near enough to _Coffee King_ , that both Suga and Oikawa were allowed to take the entire month and half away from work. 

“We’re still going down to the market tonight?” Oikawa asked, standing up. 

“Yeah, wait, where are you going?” Suga frowned. 

“Well, you said to call Iwa-chan, so…” Oikawa trailed off. 

“I didn’t mean _now_ ,” Suga glared playfully. 

“Too bad,” Oikawa shrugged. “I’m going to do it before I chicken out,” he laughed. 

Suga shook his head silently, an amused smile playing on his lips. “I can’t believe that you only came here to complain and eat my food. You’ve been spending too much time with Bokuto,” he tutted. 

Oikawa grinned. “Don’t let Akaashi hear you say that. He’s gotten even more protective of Bokuto since they started dating, if that’s even possible,” he reminded. 

“It’s kind of cute though,” Suga smirked. 

“It is,” Oikawa agreed. He was happy that things were going well for Bokuto and Akaashi despite Bokuto’s worries. He bent down slightly to pick up his empty glass. “Text me when you want to go, and I’ll meet you there,” Oikawa promised, standing back up. 

“You better not ditch me for Iwaizumi,” Suga warned. 

“Hmm, maybe then you’ll finally know what it’s like to not have your boyfriend around all the time,” Oikawa teased. “I’m kidding, I won’t leave you hanging!” he added at the menacing look Suga threw in his direction.

“Whatever, asshole,” he said affectionately. “Go enjoy your talk with Iwaizumi.” 

Oikawa flashed Suga a peace sign in greeting. He passed by the kitchen on his way out, dropping the dirty glass in the sink before changing out of his slippers and into his shoes. 

Suga’s house wasn’t that far away from Oikawa’s – only about a twenty minute train ride – but the summer was hot and Oikawa hated being out in the sun if only because he burned too easily. 

He could almost hear Iwaizumi making fun of him for wanting to bring his sweaters back now. As much as Oikawa hated to admit, his boyfriend was right. August was _always_ a hot month in Japan, no matter where you were in the country. He had definitely over packed, considering he hadn’t even touched his bag of sweaters, but he wasn’t going to let Iwaizumi know that. 

At least the train was air conditioned, and the walk from Suga’s house to the station and then the walk from the station to his own house wasn’t very far. Still, when Oikawa got home, he felt the tip of his nose and cheeks start to burn with that familiar sting. 

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
I think I got sunburned (;*△*;) 

He plopped down on the couch, back against the cushions and legs dangling off the arms uncaringly because no one else was home to chide him, and took a picture of his face, hair sprawled across the couch cushions to send with the message. He would have been embarrassed to let anyone other than Iwaizumi see him in this state considering how dishevelled he looked. 

Iwaizumi’s reply was almost instantaneous. 

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Wtf? Weren’t you wearing sunscreen? 

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
ofc I was ! I can’t help that my skin is so sensitive you know 

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Put some aloe vera on it or ice it if you don’t have any before it gets worse 

Oikawa smiled at the concern. He could practically hear Iwaizumi’s voice as he read the text in his head. 

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
but it’s too hot to move. besides I’m already feeling better bc of Iwa-chan’s words ! (*^▽^*) 

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
see ?? 

He attached another picture to the message, this time with his tongue sticking out, eyes closed in happiness, hand held up to his face in a wave. 

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
You’re so embarrassing omg 

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
And it looks the exact same as the first picture 

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
but now I blessed you w/ 2 pics of my beautiful face so you should be thanking me not complaining (●♡∀♡) 

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Yeah, yeah <3 You home? 

 **To Iwa-chan** ♥:  
yep !! 

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Can I call you instead? 

Oikawa’s heart stuttered in his chest. He had come home with the intention of calling Iwaizumi but had figured he could ease into it through text first. Admittedly, he had still been nervous because although Iwaizumi told him that he’d miss him, Oikawa was a little self-conscious about becoming too _dependent_. Now that Iwaizumi had asked to call him though, his worries had been soothed. 

He must have taken too long to answer because Iwaizumi sent another message. 

 **From Iwa-chan** ♥:  
Sorry, you don’t have to if you’re busy 

Instead of answering, Oikawa pressed the dial button on Iwaizumi’s contact information. 

“Hey,” Iwaizumi answered, picking up immediately. The smile in his voice made Oikawa’s own face break out into a wide grin. 

“Hi, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa breathed out nervously. He didn’t know why he was getting worked up calling his _boyfriend_ , but something about Iwaizumi’s voice always made Oikawa feel breathless and tingly. 

“How’s the burn?” he asked. 

“You haven’t talked to me for almost three days, not counting that brief drunk call two nights ago and _that’s_ the first thing you ask me?” Oikawa laughed. 

“I’m worried, you dipshit, what’s wrong with that?” he growled. Oikawa could almost see the telltale blush on his face. His concern really _was_ endearing. 

He chuckled at the retort, picking himself off the couch and heading upstairs to his bedroom. It was cooler there with a mini fan, anyway. 

“And sorry about that – Makki and Mattsun were kind of egging me on and then I didn’t know what to say once I did call you, so I hung up pretty quick,” he apologized. 

“Well, you did tell me I was cute so I guess I can forgive you,” Oikawa teased. 

“No I didn’t,” Iwaizumi denied. 

“You don’t remember?” Oikawa laughed. That had been the only good thing about Iwaizumi’s call. Still, his brief happiness at hearing Iwaizumi’s compliment was forgotten when he realized how much fun Iwaizumi was having without him, if the loud music and happy screaming in the background was anything to go by. 

“Ugh,” Iwaizumi groaned. 

“Don’t worry, that’s as far as the incriminating words went. You left me hanging pretty quickly there,” Oikawa reassured. 

“I’m so sorry, _fuck_. I’m never letting Mattsun pick out the order of drinks again,” he grumbled. 

Oikawa chuckled in response. “Sounds like you had fun though,” he hummed absentmindedly, heart thudding in his chest. 

He made sure the window in his room was closed considering the air conditioning was on, before setting his fan up to blow air in the direction of his bed as well. He flopped back against his sheets, letting his legs dangle off the side of the bed, while the cool air blew in the direction of his face. 

“Yeah, except the massive hangover I had yesterday wasn’t so fun,” Iwaizumi admitted. 

“Oh well, you’re only young once. Soon enough you’ll be an old man and you won’t even be able to drink,” he mused. 

“I’m only a month older than you,” Iwaizumi deadpanned. 

“A month and _ten days_ ,” Oikawa corrected.

“You’re such a shit,” Iwaizumi laughed. “Why do I even like you?” he asked jokingly. 

“You don’t,” Oikawa said seriously. He almost felt bad with the way Iwaizumi fell silent. 

“What? Oikawa –” 

“You _love_ me,” Oikawa cut him off, smiling smugly. 

“Fuck, I walked straight into that one,” Iwaizumi cursed. Oikawa hid his blush in his pillow, muffling his laughter in it as well. “Oi, stop laughing,” Iwaizumi chided. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Oikawa apologized sheepishly. “Anyway, what have you been up to besides getting drunk and nursing a hangover these past few days?” Oikawa asked, changing the subject. 

“Not much,” Iwaizumi laughed. “I saw some of my old friends from Hokudai last night. It wasn’t anything exciting but we went out for a quick dinner in Sapporo and caught up with one another. I’m supposed to go into work with my mum sometime this week and say ‘hello’ to everyone who has been asking about me, apparently.” 

“Sounds fun,” Oikawa smiled. 

“Not really,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “I didn’t realize how boring Otaru was until I got to experience Tokyo,” he admitted. 

“Maybe you’re just bored without me,” Oikawa teased. The words were out of his mouth before he could even think about them, but Iwaizumi didn’t give him a chance to regret what he said. 

“Yeah, probably,” he replied sincerely, voice low. “I miss you,” he added, making Oikawa’s throat go dry. 

“M– me too,” Oikawa said shakily. 

“Hmm,” Iwaizumi hummed absentmindedly. “You home alone?” he asked suddenly. 

“Yeah,” Oikawa agreed. 

“Good. Want me to tell you just how much I miss you?” he asked huskily. 

Oikawa knew where this was going before Iwaizumi even explained himself. Not that he even _had to_ explain himself. 

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said slowly. “You– you’re not really going to, are you?” he chuckled nervously. 

“Not what? Tell you how hard I was just thinking about your pretty face, and your pretty lips. How good they feel all over my body, but _especially_ wrapped around my cock. I couldn’t sleep last night so I thought about that until I came so hard I was exhausted.” 

“Fuck,” Oikawa breathed out slowly. He was definitely turned on now. He quickly unbuttoned his shorts and shucked them off the bed, lowering his boxers down over his ass as well. “You missed me that much?” Oikawa asked, voice somewhere between teasing and awestruck. 

“Hmm,” he agreed. 

“You’ll get to see me in a week,” Oikawa continued. He placed the phone on speaker next to his ear, using one hand to pull his shirt up enough to expose his stomach while the other hand lazily stroked his hardening dick. 

“Yeah.” Oikawa almost forgot what he asked when he heard Iwaizumi’s raspy voice. 

“Tell me what you want to do when you’re here,” he prompted. 

Iwaizumi chuckled breathily. “I want to take you out,” he started.

“You’re really bad at this,” Oikawa smiled. 

“And you’re still touching yourself,” Iwaizumi replied. 

“Fuck you,” Oikawa stuttered. He didn’t deny the accusation though, mostly because he didn’t think Iwaizumi cared _what_ Oikawa was doing at the moment. 

“I will, if you let me finish,” he answered cheekily. 

“Where do you want to go?” Oikawa asked, ignoring the way his hand tightened around himself. He pushed his hand further up his chest, pretending like it was Iwaizumi touching him instead. With his boyfriend’s voice speaking in his ear, it was easy to convince himself that he was. 

“I don’t fucking care,” Iwaizumi said honestly. “Anywhere you can dress up. Fuck, you look so sexy in a suit,” he groaned. 

Oikawa lifted himself off the bed to search through his nightstand briefly before finding the bottle of lube he was looking for. He lay back on the bed, opening the bottle and squeezing the liquid onto his fingers. 

“We can go to this restaurant on the beach if you want. It’s fancy enough for a suit and you get an ocean view throughout dinner,” Oikawa smiled, rubbing his fingers together quietly. When he was satisfied with the lack of friction between them, he reached down and ran his fingers around his rim teasingly, because that’s what Iwaizumi always did. 

“You think I’ll be looking outside when I can look at you?” Iwaizumi asked. “God, you’re beautiful.” 

“ _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa whined, slipping a finger into himself. He let out a shaky breath that didn’t go unnoticed by Iwaizumi. 

“Shit, Oikawa, are you fingering yourself?” he asked shakily. 

“Hmm, but I wish it was you instead,” he answered honestly, slipping a second finger in and moaning halfway through the statement. He didn’t mind doing it to himself, but Iwaizumi was so much better at it and as much as Oikawa complained about the teasing, he actually liked it. When he touched himself, he couldn’t exactly hold out. 

“I wish it was me instead as well,” Iwaizumi answered. “But I like fucking you with my tongue so much better,” he continued.

Oikawa closed his eyes and pressed his fingers deeper into himself with one hand while the other continued to stroke lazily along his length. 

“Who says I’ll let you?” Oikawa teased. As if that was ever the question. Both he and Iwaizumi knew that Oikawa wouldn’t say ‘no.’ 

“Please, Oikawa, you’ll beg me to,” Iwaizumi said knowingly. “I wonder what you’d look like, dress shirt open, pants shed somewhere off to side, hands tied down with your own tie while I eat you out,” he mused. 

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Oikawa moaned. He curled his fingers against himself, now thinking what it would feel like for them to be Iwaizumi’s tongue instead. 

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” The gasp Oikawa let out at the question was enough indication of his answer. “You’re so loud though, we’d have to find a way to make you quiet down. What do you want? My fingers in your mouth or a gag?” Iwaizumi asked, like he was asking Oikawa to decide between flavours of ice cream. 

Fuck, Oikawa took back his earlier statement. Iwaizumi wasn’t bad at this at all. 

“Iwa-chan, please, I’m so close,” Oikawa whined. “Tell me you’ll fuck me.” 

“Only when you’ve already come once with my tongue,” Iwaizumi answered honestly. “I’ll fuck you while you’re still half-dressed. It’ll be so good you won’t even need me to touch you. You can come on my cock alone, can’t you, baby?” he asked roughly. 

“Yes, _yes_ ,” Oikawa whined. He was three fingers in now, rubbing them along his walls obscenely. When he found his prostate, he curled his fingers, crying out, unembarrassed and unfiltered into the phone. 

“Just like that,” Iwaizumi continued. “Keep hitting that spot and don’t touch yourself otherwise. Imagine me pounding into you over and over again in the same way – I’ll make you come in no time.” 

Oikawa’s hand stuttered around his length, but he slowly unwrapped his hand from it. He let his fingers inside him rub and glide along his walls alone, pressing deeply against his prostate more times than he thought he could handle. 

“I’m – I’m going to come,” Oikawa answered honestly. 

“Me too,” Iwaizumi said quietly. “I want to come together.” 

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa said immediately. He didn’t think he could handle fingering himself any longer. His cock was lying hard and leaking against his stomach.

“Shit, Tooru, I can almost feel you squeezing around me. You’re always so fucking perfect, taking me in all the way.” 

“Hajime, _please_ ,” Oikawa whined, feeling his stomach coil – ready to burst at any moment. 

“You can come,” he whispered so quietly, that if Oikawa’s ear hadn’t been right by the phone, he would have missed the words. 

As soon as the words were out of Iwaizumi’s mouth, Oikawa felt his orgasm take over. He couldn’t believe how hard he was coming, and he would have been embarrassed by the sounds he was making as he fingered himself through his release if it wasn’t for Iwaizumi’s encouragement on the other end of the line. Oikawa was egged on by his little grunts and praises, and the sound of Iwaizumi's own release hitting him. 

When he was done, he pulling his fingers out of himself, wincing slightly at the change but otherwise feeling sated. Iwaizumi was quiet on the other end, and if it wasn’t for the soft breathing Oikawa heard, he would have thought that Iwaizumi had hung up on him. 

This definitely was _not_ how he had been expecting his phone call to go, but he certainly wasn’t complaining. 

“Iwa-chan, can’t you come here tomorrow instead of next week?” Oikawa chuckled breathily. 

Iwaizumi chortled in response. “I wish,” he answered truthfully. “I miss you,” he said again, making Oikawa’s face light up.

“Or you just miss my body,” he teased. 

“Well, _yeah_ ,” Iwaizumi laughed. “But I miss _you_ more,” he continued. 

“Really? What do you miss about me?” he asked, sitting up and reaching for a box of tissues to clean himself off with. His entire body felt sticky and with the fan blowing cold air on him, the cum on his stomach was quickly drying, but Oikawa couldn’t care for a shower right then. He just wanted to hear Iwaizumi’s voice, and not even because he was complimenting him. 

“Your smile, your whining, your shitty jokes,” he listed off. Oikawa’s face pulled up into a lopsided grin. 

“That’s it?” he joked. 

“I also miss your pout – the one you make when you don’t get your way. It makes me want to kiss you so badly,” he admitted. “I miss your laugh, the way your eyes light up when you’re excited about something. Hell, I even miss your terrible taste in movies,” he laughed. 

“I don’t have terrible taste in movies!” Oikawa squawked.

“Of course that’s the only thing you got out of that,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “I miss holding your hands – they’re always so cold and I just want to warm them up. I miss the way you like to nuzzle your face against my chest, because it gives me an excuse to run my hands through your soft hair,” he admitted. 

“That’s not fair,” Oikawa complained, pulling on a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt before lying back on his bed, properly this time. 

“What’s not fair?” 

“You can’t just tell me all these things and then make me wait a _week_ to see you,” he huffed. 

Iwaizumi laughed loudly. “You’re the one who wanted to know what I missed about you,” he retorted. “I also miss that. The way you get embarrassed when someone genuinely compliments you. You’re beautiful and so perfect,” he sighed. Oikawa wasn’t sure his heart could handle any more of Iwaizumi’s kindness. 

“Ah, stop, stop, I get it you’re so in love with me,” he said embarrassedly.

“You’re a shit,” Iwaizumi laughed loudly. Oikawa wished he could see the dimples in Iwaizumi's cheeks that always appeared when he was happy. 

“I love you,” Oikawa smiled back in response. 

“Yeah, me too,” Iwaizumi responded sincerely. 

They were silent for a few minutes, and Oikawa settled himself deeper into his bed, sighing into the pillow. He felt too happy and warm that it was making him sleepy. Apparently Iwaizumi was thinking the same thing too. 

“Hey, you didn’t fall asleep did you?” 

“Nah, I’m still here,” Oikawa smiled. “I can’t fall asleep anyway. I promised Suga that we’d go to the market tonight and it’s already 5 pm. He’ll kill me if I ditch him,” Oikawa laughed, knowing very well that Suga would not be pleased if Oikawa copped out on their time together like that. 

“Understandable,” Iwaizumi chuckled. 

“Keep talking to me, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa insisted. “I like listening to your voice, and it’ll help me stay awake.” 

The last part was a lie. If anything, Iwaizumi’s deep, soothing voice would just make Oikawa feel calmer and bring him closer to a sleepy state. 

If Iwaizumi knew this, he didn’t point it out. Instead, he talked to Oikawa about what his hometown looked like, the things he wanted to show Oikawa when he came to visit, random bits of conversation he had with his friends and other things that made Oikawa smile for the sole reason that it was Iwaizumi who was telling him. 

At some point, he definitely fell asleep, and when Suga ended up coming to his house to shake him awake, lecturing him about keeping his promises half-heartedly, Oikawa couldn’t find any reason to want to have changed the course of the afternoon. 

So maybe he was clingy and becoming way too attached, but Iwaizumi didn’t seem to mind and if anything, he was the same way. The realization put Oikawa in an irreplaceably good mood for the rest of the night and the rest of the week as well, making the time he had to spend without Iwaizumi go by a lot faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this is a shorter chapter, once again, but the next one will be long and pick up again! c:
> 
> next time:  
> \- annoying neighbours  
> \- Iwaizumi is the epitome of 'lovable guy'
> 
> please leave me a comment/kudos, they make my entire week! ♡


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i 100% almost forgot that it was Friday and did a terrible job of editing this fic, but also, this last week wasn't the best. not only was it super busy, i was fighting a bad cold and my motivation was at an all time low.
> 
> i'm going to be completely honest when i say that i contemplated _not_ putting up a chapter this week, just bc the response was so low last week. i completely understand people being busy and not reading right when it's posted, or maybe even reading weeks, _months_ later, but i promise you, i _do_ read every single comment and reply to it, whether it's directly here or through another way of chatting if i have that with you. 
> 
> it's not even that this fic is "unpopular" - i mean, i wouldn't call it "popular" either, but the subscription numbers tell me that there's significant interest and yet, i get the same 7-8 people commenting every week. honestly, it's a little disappointing to me as an author bc yes, i'm writing and sharing bc _i_ want to, but i also do want feedback and communication. it's no fun to enjoy things by yourself, and i love talking to people about this fic or listening to what they have to say about characters!
> 
> this isn't me 'guilt-tripping' people into commenting. just know that i will be updating this every Friday unless dire circumstances arise so you don't have to feel 'forced' to comment just for me to update. i won't be doing that, promise. but this _is_ me asking people to really take a moment and think about how even a few words can be so motivating and how authors genuinely love getting comments. if this appeals to you, then please leave me a little msg! if not, then ok, i tried lmao what else can i say?
> 
> i would however, like to take this time and thank everyone who _has_ commented on this fic! whether you did it once, a few times, every chapter, i appreciate every single word you've said to me! your comments are what pushed me to finish this story in the first place, and now that i've finished writing it, they're what prove to me that i didn't just spend hours of my life on something that wasn't going to appeal to anyone, so _thank you_. from the bottom of my heart, i couldn't be more grateful for you ♡
> 
> now onto the chapter lol

Iwaizumi wasn’t really upset that Oikawa couldn’t be there to meet him at the train station. He had apologized enough times for Iwaizumi to know that he really _had_ wanted to be there, but Oikawa was a good person and an even better uncle. He never missed Takeru’s volleyball games, which happened to be on the very day and time that Iwaizumi’s train arrived in Sendai.

And although Oikawa had sounded incredibly conflicted when he spoke to Iwaizumi last night, Iwaizumi had been quick to dispel his worries. The last thing he needed was for Oikawa to miss Takeru’s volleyball game to pick Iwaizumi up, when he was perfectly capable of finding his way to Oikawa’s house himself.

That had been the plan, anyway. Oikawa had given Iwaizumi his address and the number for a cab after Iwaizumi had turned down Oikawa’s offer to have his dad send someone to pick Iwaizumi up. He knew enough to be able to hail a taxi, and follow directions, although it _would_ be a little awkward to be in Oikawa’s home alone for the first time.

But Iwaizumi quickly pushed those thoughts out of his mind and opted to focus on the fact that he would be seeing Oikawa soon, which was obviously the most important part of the day.

He had prepared himself for it all, which was why when he stepped off the train and headed towards the end of the terminal, he was surprised to see Daichi waiting for him. At least, Iwaizumi assumed Daichi was waiting for him because he waved and walked towards him the moment they noticed one another.

“Hey, let me grab one of those for you,” Daichi offered, sliding a duffel bag off of Iwaizumi’s shoulder and hooking it over his own.

“Thanks,” Iwaizumi said absentmindedly, racking his brain for information he may have forgotten. “Did Oikawa send you?”

“Nah, well, kind of,” Daichi laughed. “He was complaining to Suga about how bad he felt for not being able to pick you up after making a big deal about finally being able to see you, so Suga suggested I pick you up instead. My dad’s home today, so I got to borrow the car,” he smiled, twirling his car keys between his fingers.

“Thanks, man,” Iwaizumi smiled. While he had been mentally prepared to handle getting to Oikawa’s house on his own, Iwaizumi couldn’t deny that having Daichi pick him up was a much better alternative.

He let Daichi lead him to his car and placed his bags in the trunk before sliding into the passenger seat. Daichi handed him a bento box that Iwaizumi took amusedly.

“It’s from my mum,” he explained, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly. “When I told her that you were coming down from Hokkaido she insisted on making you lunch in case you were hungry. You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to,” Daichi admitted.

“Nah, this is great. I haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast, actually,” Iwaizumi admitted, opening the box up to reveal neatly packed karaage, rolls, and steamed rice. “Smells good too,” he appreciated, digging in.

His train had left Sapporo Station at 6 am sharp, which hadn’t given him much of a chance to eat breakfast. His mum had packed him some onigiri he had gone through those pretty quickly, and the moment he even remembered that he was hungry he had been forced to change lines. Iwaizumi had been so worried about getting on the wrong train, considering he had two line changes to make, that he didn’t really give much thought to his stomach until then.

“This isn’t out of your way, is it?” Iwaizumi asked hesitantly.

“Don’t worry about it,” Daichi waved off. When Iwaizumi gave him an unsure look, he chuckled before adding, “Hey, you might be here to see Oikawa but that doesn’t mean _I_ don’t want to see my friend.”

Iwaizumi flushed, humbled by the admission, but accepted the compliment. “Where are we going?” he asked, when he noticed Daichi taking a different route than the one Oikawa had written down for him in the chance that he got lost.

Instead of a residential neighbourhood, they were driving along a quiet street, lined with parks and bus stops, and the odd conbini.

“The recreation centre. I figured you might want to see Takeru’s game, and probably Oikawa too,” Daichi chuckled.

Iwaizumi nodded, thanking Daichi for his thoughtfulness once again. The car ride wasn’t long, but it was easy and familiar being able to talk to Daichi. Iwaizumi had learned a little while ago that their friendship only started thanks to Oikawa’s weird way of figuring out his name – which was cute on its own – but Iwaizumi was grateful for it all the same. Daichi was a nice guy, smart too, which made it very easy to partner up with him on projects and study together as well.

They talked about how their vacation had been so far, and Daichi gave Iwaizumi tips for things to do in Miyagi while he was here, until the conversation lulled to a comfortable silence.

“So I heard that you confessed your love for Oikawa,” Daichi teased, making Iwaizumi choke on his last mouthful of rice.

“Shit, does _everyone_ know?” he groaned, wondering just how many people Oikawa had told. Iwaizumi supposed Oikawa _had_ warned him, but he didn’t think his boyfriend had been serious about it when he said ‘ _I want everyone to know_.’

“Don’t worry, I only found out because of Suga. Your secret’s safe,” Daichi chuckled.

“You don’t think it was too soon?” Iwaizumi asked hesitantly.

Daichi shook his head, giving Iwaizumi a reassuring smile briefly before turning his attention back to the road in front of him. “It’s been what? Four months? If you love him, then you love him,” he shrugged. “Oikawa lets you hang out with his friends, _your_ friends,” Daichi corrected. “He let you meet you his parents and from what I can see, you’re not in any threat of being arrested so I suppose you made a good enough impression. He gets incredibly self-conscious about you and that’s the most he’s ever done for anyone. I think if you didn’t tell him you loved him, he would have gone a little crazy,” Daichi admitted.

Iwaizumi swallowed around the lump in his throat that came with Daichi’s explanation.

“But just to be clear, you told him because you mean it, right?” Daichi narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah, of course,” Iwaizumi nodded eagerly. He wondered how many interrogations he was going to have to deal with and he figured he could count on one from Kuroo and Bokuto as well the moment they got back to school. And maybe Suga while he was visiting. The thought was mildly comforting, if entirely frightening.

“Good,” Daichi concluded. “You know, when I first met him we were in high school and he was a complete asshole. I couldn’t stand him because he was incredibly arrogant and had every right to be because he was _good_ at what he did. But when his team lost that day, I realized he really was just human. He puts up a good front, but he’s not as strong as he likes people to think he is. You know that, right?”

“I do,” Iwaizumi agreed. “No offense, but why are you telling me this?” Iwaizumi frowned.

“I may not have liked Oikawa at one point in my life, but he’s become a good friend. He’s fiercely loyal to those he cares about and in turn, we are to him as well. I’m just letting you know that,” Daichi said slowly, letting the words sink in.

Iwaizumi found himself nodding along. “Duly noted,” he chuckled reluctantly.

Oikawa was right – Daichi _was_ scary when he wanted to be. But Iwaizumi was glad that Oikawa had people like that to look after him. He liked to think he was one of those people too, but it was reassuring to know that Oikawa had always had that kind of support. even without him.

He was annoying as hell, but so very charming at the same time. His appeal was magnetic and Iwaizumi was grateful that there were other people out there who understood and appreciated everything Oikawa had to offer.

“I also heard you told him you loved him at the top of Mount Fuji,” Daichi chuckled, breaking the slight tension in the car immediately.

Iwaizumi huffed a laugh, finishing off the lunch and placing the lid back on box. He settled it on his lap and shook his head at Daichi’s statement. “That’s a lie.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Daichi laughed. “I had to listen to Suga complain about how _romantic_ that was, and how the way we said it to one another couldn’t compare. He insisted we do it again, _properly_ , this time,” Daichi shook his head.

“Yeah, no, I’m sure however you did it was much better than what really happened between Oikawa and I,” Iwaizumi chuckled nervously at the memory.

It was so like Oikawa to tell people that it happened a few hours later and in a different setting than it actually did. Not that Iwaizumi should have been surprised considering Oikawa _had_ warned him that was exactly what he was going to say.

Daichi gave him a deadpan look. “I’m not sure I want to know. Let’s go with what Oikawa told Suga,” he said, trying to hide his smile behind tight lips.

“I’m not sure I want to tell you,” Iwaizumi answered honestly, turning his head to fight off the blush he knew had made its way onto his cheeks.

Daichi chuckled again, but thankfully changed the subject. When they got to the recreation centre, he let Iwaizumi out first, and said he would be back once he found a parking spot. Iwaizumi thanked him again and went off in search of the gym.

There wasn’t much searching to do however, because the familiar squeaking of shoes against the waxy gym floor, the dull thud of a ball being passed down before hitting the ground, and the loud yelling, both in the form of cheers and frustration were enough to let Iwaizumi know which way he was supposed to be heading.

It was only a minor league game, so the gym wasn’t very full. Iwaizumi didn’t even have to look very far to find Oikawa, who was standing up in the front, hands thrown up in the air and a shout on his lips.

Iwaizumi smiled at the sight of him – face pink from exerting himself with his cheering, hands waving about as he signalled something to Takeru. He was wearing a pair of white shorts, and a teal t-shirt, one with an unfamiliar logo on it, but when Iwaizumi saw the 'VBC' written along the sleeve, he figured it was from his old high school.

Oikawa was so cute, and Iwaizumi was tempted to stand at the door and watch him for a few more moments, but the urge to hug him was stronger, so he strode forward and wrapped his hand around Oikawa’s waist, pulling him down to sit on the bleachers in the process.

“Wh– Iwa-chan!” Oikawa exclaimed, pulling Iwaizumi into a tight hug as confusion dawned into realization. “What are you doing here?” he tilted his head thoughtfully.

Iwaizumi wanted to kiss him for that doe-eyed look, but he refrained because of the curious looks thrown in their direction. He consented to unwrapping himself from Oikawa and holding his hand in his own instead, pulling it between their thighs and out of view.

“Saving you from getting kicked out,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “The referee looks _pissed_.”

Oikawa flushed at that. “I wasn’t going to get kicked out!” he huffed indignantly. “The referee just can’t see _shit_ ,” Oikawa complained, a little too loudly. The use of a curse word in a gym full of parents and children earned him more dirty looks.

“Calm down,” Iwaizumi soothed, running his thumb over the back of Oikawa’s hand. “It looks like Takeru’s team is winning by a lot already. Don’t worry about it,” he smiled.

“I don’t like biased refs,” he pouted, but he didn’t argue any further than that.

With Iwaizumi by his side, he also didn’t stand up to shout as much as he might have, had he been alone. “What are you really doing here? I thought you were going to go to my house,” he asked again.

“Daichi picked me up. He didn’t tell you?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Well, he said he _might_ , if he had access to a car. It was never certain, but I’m glad you’re here,” Oikawa smiled, pulling Iwaizumi’s hand closer.

“Yeah, me too,” Iwaizumi agreed, indulging Oikawa with the proximity. If only until Daichi came back and they separated a little, for the sake of their friend and the beady-eyed parents throwing suspicion in their direction.

Iwaizumi could understand – he had grown up in a small town after all – but it didn’t make things any easier.

The game ended after two sets, with Takeru’s team winning, but since it was a recreational game, they played a third for the fun of it. Oikawa huffed in annoyance the entire time, but he didn’t look all the chuffed about it in the end. Takeru seemed to be having fun, and from what Iwaizumi could see, that was the most important part about it all, to Oikawa.

“Tooru-nii, did you see how many points I scored?” Takeru asked excitedly, jumping over the players bench to run towards Oikawa the moment the game ended. “Ah, Hajime-nii! Did you get to see me play too? I was cool, right? I’m gonna be the Ace one day!” he declared proudly.

“You were awesome,” Oikawa agreed, ruffling his slightly sweaty hair. “Go get changed and grab your things though, so we can go home.”

“Coach says we can stay behind and practice a little more. Hajime-nii, come practice with me, okay?” Takeru asked.

When he was excited like this, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but think he looked a lot like Oikawa, with his vibrant brown eyes and happy expression.

“Uhm, I’m not wearing volleyball shoes,” he frowned.

“That’s okay, you’ve got running shoes on. Those are good enough,” Takeru declared, pulling Iwaizumi by the hand towards the gym before Iwaizumi even had the chance to decline. Not that he could, when Takeru gave him the _look_ he had come so used to giving in to, thanks to Oikawa.

“Only fifteen minutes! Then we have to go,” Oikawa reminded.

Takeru nodded enthusiastically, handing a ball to Iwaizumi immediately so as to not waste any time.

“Wow, I just went completely ignored,” Daichi chuckled.

“Ah shit, sorry, that was so rude of me,” Oikawa apologized. “I’ll introduce you when they come back okay?” he promised.

“I’m joking, Oikawa.” Daichi nudged Oikawa’s shoulder with his own lightly, lifting the frown off his face.

“Don’t make me feel like a bad person, Dai-chan,” Oikawa whined, sitting back down on the bleachers with a pout.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Would giving you a ride home appease you?” he asked knowingly.

“Maybe,” Oikawa agreed haughtily, but he was smiling.

“Good, because I still have Iwaizumi’s bags in my car,” Daichi admitted. He followed Oikawa’s lead and sat back down as well.

“Thanks, by the way. For picking him up, and for bringing him here,” he smiled appreciatively.

“No problem,” Daichi waved the recognition off.

“Although I feel like Takeru’s enjoying his company more than I am,” Oikawa chuckled, when Takeru let out a surprised shout at a particularly loud spike from Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi looked embarrassed, if entirely proud and Takeru handed the ball back to Iwaizumi for what looked like a second demonstration.

“Seems like you’re going to have to fight for his attention now,” Daichi laughed, pointing to the group of young boys that had circled themselves around Iwaizumi at the sight of his spiking. Oikawa couldn’t deny that it was a pretty adorable display though.

Iwaizumi looked flustered, and a tad bit embarrassed if the blush on his face was anything to go by. But he also looked happy and he nodded at something someone said before moving back to the serving line.

Oikawa knew that he had told Takeru they would have to leave in fifteen minutes, but the way the hands of everyone around Iwaizumi shot up like they were asking for him to pick them made Oikawa realize that they’d probably be there a little longer.

Not that he was really complaining.

“Oikawa-kun,” an annoyed voice called out to him, taking his attention off the court and to the woman who was walking towards him with her hands on her hips and a severe frown etched into her unfriendly features.

“Oh, hello, Fujiyama-san,” Oikawa greeted breezily.

“Can you please ask your _friend_ to leave the court so that everyone can go home,” she said tetchily.

“I wasn’t aware that he was forcing anyone to stay. In fact, I’m certain the coach is allowing it,” he responded seriously, trying and failing to keep his tone in check.

Oikawa could feel Daichi’s knowing stare, and he was aware of the other parents who had their sons still on the court watching them as well. His father was well-known and Oikawa _knew_ he wasn’t supposed to rise to the bait in the chance that he got his dad in trouble, but he couldn’t help it. Fujiyama-san was the most annoying person Oikawa had the misfortunate of meeting _and_ her son sucked at volleyball, even if he was a nice kid, given the parent he had to grow up with.

“Hiro has practice at the private gym to get to and it’s clear your friend is just wasting his time,” she said pointedly.

Oikawa knew the way she said ‘ _private_ ’ gym was supposed to come off as impressive, but all it did was make him want to roll his eyes.

“Boyfriend,” he said seriously.

“Pardon?” she asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“You asked me to tell my friend to leave. He’s my _boyfriend_ , Fujiyama-san, or do you have a problem with that?” he asked sweetly, words laced with venom.

“Of course not,” she huffed. “I don’t like what you’re accusing me of. That’s no way to speak to your elders,” she narrowed her eyes.

“You’re right, I apologize, Fujiyama-san,” Oikawa agreed, standing up and bowing his head slightly. “Let me just get him off the court,” he smiled, trying his best not to frown at the obnoxious woman instead.

She seemed taken aback by Oikawa’s willingness to agree without much of a fight. She nodded her head at the apology and waited for Oikawa to do as he was asked.

“Oikawa…” Daichi called out warningly, knowing just what Fujiyama-san was capable of.

Oikawa flashed him a grin that was anything but comforting, before making his way to the court and towards Iwaizumi who was in the middle of going through the arm movements required for a straight.

“Hey, is it time to go?” Iwaizumi smiled when he saw Oikawa approaching. His face fell though, when he saw the flash of anger flit across Oikawa’s face.

Instead of answering, Oikawa grabbed the front of Iwaizumi’s shirt and pulled him in for a kiss, pressing their lips together roughly. Iwaizumi seemed shocked, but he didn’t fight it, dropping the ball that was in his hands in order to wrap his hands around Oikawa’s back to steady him.

“What was that for?” Iwaizumi asked, flushed now that they had broken apart. The gym had suddenly turned too quiet and he knew that everyone was looking at them, especially the group of young boys circling them, heads cocked to the side curiously.

Oikawa narrowed his eyes but didn’t answer. He turned around, searching through the wide-eyed pre-teens for Takeru’s familiar face. “Come on, Takeru, we’re going home.”

He must have sounded angry because Takeru nodded and followed without a fight. Oikawa took Takeru’s hand in one of his, and used the other to pull Iwaizumi off the court as well.

“Whoa, Oikawa, slow down,” Iwaizumi tried to decrease Oikawa’s pace to no avail.

“Have a good day, Fujiyama-san,” Oikawa greeted brightly, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Sorry for taking up your time – I guess now you can have someone other than my _boyfriend_ teach your son how to play properly since he clearly needs the help,” he added, turning around before the woman could say something else.

“Tooru-nii, you’re holding my hand too tightly,” Takeru frowned.

Oikawa dropped his hand guiltily. “Sorry, Takeru,” he apologized. He moved to let go of Iwaizumi’s hand as well, but Iwaizumi only tightened his grip, pulling Oikawa closer to him in the process.

“Yikes, Oikawa, why’d you do that? You _know_ she’s going to file a complaint and a public indecency charge,” Daichi reminded. “You shouldn’t have risen to her bait,” he chided.

“I _know_ ,” Oikawa snapped angrily. At the pained look on Daichi’s face, he sobered up though. “I’m sorry for yelling at you,” he apologized sincerely. “I’m a bad person,” he sighed, slumping against Iwaizumi slightly.

“No, you’re not,” Takeru insisted. “Okaasan says I’m not allowed to say anything mean to Fujiyama-san because she’s older than me but you’re cool, not a bad person, for standing up for yourself,” Takeru smiled. “I mean, kissing Hajime-nii in front of everyone was kind of gross but not because he’s a _boy_ ,” he added, making Oikawa laugh. “Kissing is just _gross_ ,” he wrinkled his nose in distaste.

“How would you know?” Oikawa teased, feeling a little better. “Thanks, Takeru,” Oikawa smiled, pulling his nephew into an affectionate, one-armed hug.

“So who was that?” Iwaizumi asked finally, once Oikawa had calmed down from his rage a little.

“A stupid, bitch,” Oikawa responded peevishly. “Ah, sorry Takeru, don’t tell oneechan I said that,” he smiled sheepishly.

“Don’t worry, that’s what okaasan calls Fujiyama-san behind her back too,” Takeru grinned, making the group burst out in laughter. “I need to change and go to the bathroom. Can I also grab a drink before we go home?” he asked, looking at Oikawa.

“I can take him,” Daichi offered. “Sawamura Daichi, but you can call me Daichi,” he stuck his hand out, which Takeru shook, beaming widely.

“Oikawa Takeru. Nice to meet you, Dai-nii,” he grinned.

“Great, I see Oikawa has passed on his ability to nickname people to you,” Daichi laughed, guiding Takeru towards the bathroom.

Once Takeru and Daichi were out of sight, Iwaizumi turned towards Oikawa and kissed him properly. Nothing like the rough, demanding kiss Oikawa had flung on him earlier. His was sweet, and slow, and made Oikawa want to melt into him. When they pulled apart, Oikawa’s face was noticeably happier.

“Now are you going to tell me what that was really about?” Iwaizumi asked, brushing his thumb along Oikawa’s cheek.

Oikawa frowned apologetically but nodded. “Fujiyama-san thinks that being gay is contagious,” he rolled his eyes. “She told oneechan not to let me bring Takeru to games because she didn’t want me near her son and all the other young boys. You can guess how oneechan responded to that,” Oikawa laughed.

Iwaizumi smiled wryly at him in response. Oikawa Narumi sure did like to tease her brother a lot, but the moment someone else said something bad about him, she wouldn’t stand for it.

“Obviously I didn’t stop coming, but one time, I brought Suga along to one of Takeru’s games and he scored the winning point so we both got really excited and hugged one another at the end. Fujiyama-san saw that and ended up complaining to my parents how it was inappropriate to let me ‘grope my accomplice’ in public. She _swore_ I was touching his butt, but don’t you think Daichi or better yet, _Suga_ , would have killed me if I really did that?” Oikawa asked crossly.

“Accomplice? _Seriously_?” Iwaizumi asked, torn between anger and disbelief. “What does she think you are? A criminal?”

“Oh that’s not even the worst of it. You know how Daichi said she would file a public indecency charge against me? Well she probably _will_ considering she did that when my parents tried to dismiss her accusations the first time,” Oikawa sighed. “You’d think she’d give up knowing who my dad and my brother are but she’s convinced I’m in the wrong somehow,” he frowned.

“You’re not,” Iwaizumi said immediately.

“I _know_ ,” Oikawa admitted. “I mean, it sucks to be made out to feel wrong, but I know I’m not,” he reassured.

“Good,” Iwaizumi concluded, leaning up to kiss Oikawa again. “If I knew how terrible she was, I would have kissed you the moment I saw you in the gym,” Iwaizumi laughed, lightening the mood. “Or _groped_ you inappropriately,” he teased.

“Don’t worry, Takeru has another game the day before you leave,” Oikawa nodded decisively. “We can show her just how inappropriate we can be,” he grinned wickedly.

“Not too much though,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “We don’t want Takeru getting kicked out from his team because of us,” he concluded.

Oikawa chuckled and nodded, feeling much happier than he had since they left the gym. He buried his head in Iwaizumi’s chest and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him in as close as he could. “I missed you,” Oikawa smiled against his chest.

“Me too,” Iwaizumi answered easily.

“I love you,” Oikawa continued, ducking down to press a kiss to the spot over Iwaizumi’s heart.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed, heart stuttering at the affectionate action. “Me too,” he repeated wholeheartedly.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Oikawa and Takeru showing Iwaizumi around the neighbourhood. After Daichi dropped them off at Oikawa’s house and turned down his mum’s invitation to stay and have dinner, Oikawa showed Iwaizumi up to his room, where he had set up a futon for him as per his parents’ request.

Although they both knew that the futon _wouldn’t_ be used, but it was nice to let his parents think it would be, even if the knowing look his mum sent them was any indication of what she really believed.

Once Iwaizumi had unpacked a little, showered and changed, Takeru insisted on showing him the park, which was just another excuse for him to get Iwaizumi and Oikawa to play volleyball with him. They passed by Tetsu’s house on the way home, and Iwaizumi was introduced to his fiancée, Shiori.

Iwaizumi learned that she and Tetsu had been dating since high school, which he found was really cute. She was nice, definitely very smart, and as someone who wasn’t part of the Oikawa family by blood, Iwaizumi found it incredibly easy to get along with her.

“You’ll come to our wedding, right?” Shiori asked Iwaizumi on their walk from her home back to Oikawa’s parents’ where they were all invited to have dinner. He was slightly taken aback by the invitation and looked to Oikawa for help.

“Shiori-nee, you’re so embarrassing,” Oikawa complained.

“Why?” she laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re planning on breaking up. The wedding is next July, and I expect to see him there, alright?” she asked, pinching Oikawa’s cheek affectionately.

“You heard her, Iwa-chan. You’re not allowed to break up with me,” Oikawa laughed.

“Shut up,” Iwaizumi blustered embarrassedly, but he squeezed Oikawa’s fingers that were fitted between his gently in answer. No way had he once thought about that since they started dating.

“Yeah, no breaking up!” Takeru echoed. “Do you know how many texts I got today of people inviting me over to their house? Everyone wants to be my friend now because they think Hajime-nii is my uncle,” Takeru declared proudly.

“What? No way, I’m _much_ cooler than Iwa-chan,” Oikawa insisted. “And better looking.”

“Definitely better looking,” Iwaizumi replied absentmindedly, kissing Oikawa’s cheek as he said so. “But not cooler, right Takeru?”

“Of course!” Takeru answered immediately, jumping up to give Iwaizumi a high-five.

“Don’t let the popularity inflate your ego,” Oikawa chided, bopping Takeru’s forehead lightly.

“You’re one to talk, Tooru,” Shiori laughed. “I remember when you were in high school, there was always a horde of girls waiting to walk you to school and then walk back home with you. And don’t even get me started on your volleyball games. You could barely hear the commentators over all the girls yelling ‘ _Oikawa-san, I love you_!’ or did you conveniently forget how you used to brag about the free lunches and massages they would offer you?” she reminded.

“You’re such an asshole, taking advantage of the kind girls like that,” Iwaizumi laughed, storing the new information in his head, to tease Oikawa with later.

“Hey, they _wanted_ to help me out. How could I turn down their hospitality?” Oikawa retorted.

“Sure, hospitality,” Shiori rolled her eyes. “Although I suppose it would have broken their hearts more if they knew they couldn’t date you,” she winked.

“Why does everyone pick on me?” Oikawa complained weakly.

“Because you make it so easy,” Iwaizumi answered. “And because we love you,” he whispered in Oikawa’s ear, loud enough for only him to hear. Oikawa’s face lit up, pink flush rushing down from the tips of his ears, over the bridge of his nose, all the way down his neck.

He didn’t get a chance to retort though, because his house came into view and Takeru ran up the path, throwing the door open and yelling a loud greeting. The shout made his mum appear in the doorway and she ushered them in and quickly put them all to work on helping with dinner.

They waited for Tetsu and Oikawa’s father to get home before they sat down to eat though, which Oikawa told Iwaizumi could sometimes go on for hours. But thankfully, it was a quiet night at the police station and both Tetsu and Oikawa’s father came home right as dinner was finished cooking.

“I got an interesting call from Fujiyama-san while you were out today,” Oikawa’s mum started, making Oikawa drop his chopsticks on the table unceremoniously. He figured Fujiyama-san would complain about him but he hadn’t been expecting his mum to bring it up at _dinner_ , in front of _everyone_. “I’ll take your reaction to mean that you _did_ have an encounter with her,” his mum continued.

“Obaachan, she was _really_ mean,” Takeru defended. Oikawa patted Takeru, who was sitting next to him, on the thigh lightly to quiet him down. He didn’t need Takeru getting in trouble for him as well.

“What did she say?” Oikawa asked.

“That you insulted her, and her son, and that you acted _very_ inappropriately in front of impressionable young children,” she quoted.

“Do you believe her?” Oikawa continued.

“About the insults? Yes. About acting inappropriately? Not really, after the last complaint we got from her,” his mum rolled her eyes. “But you know you’re not allowed to insult her _or_ any other members of her family. That’s not how we raised you, Tooru.”

“I know,” Oikawa admitted, looking down at his bowl sheepishly. He felt Iwaizumi run his thumb over the back of his hand encouragingly. “I’ll apologize to her for that, but not if she files another complaint about me,” Oikawa said defensively.

“Tooru,” his father started. “You’ll apologize to her regardless. The complaint will get nowhere because it’s not true, but you _will_ apologize because you were rude,” he said firmly.

“Ojiichan, that’s not fair. You _know_ she’s always saying mean things about Tooru-nii,” Takeru cut in. Oikawa sent him a glare to shut him up. He could appreciate Takeru wanting to stand up for him but he _had_ been rather rude, which he would own up to… begrudgingly, but he _would_.

“That’s not an excuse,” his father continued. “Is it Tooru?”

“No, otousan,” he responded firmly.

“Good,” he concluded. “Now, what exactly did you say to insult her son?”

“Something about how he’d be glad to get Hajime-nii off the court so Hiro could get to the extra practice he needs since he sucks so badly at volleyball,” Takeru said proudly.

“ _Takeru_ ,” Oikawa hissed. But it didn’t seem like he had anything to worry about because his father laughed aloud, sending him a reassuring smile, and his sister shot him a quick thumbs up from across the table.

“That’s my son,” he said warmly. Oikawa beamed in response, earning him a half-hearted glare from his mother who sent a real one to his father.

“I can’t believe you scolded him then egged him on,” Tetsu chuckled. “You’re just as bad as Tooru is, otousan.”

“That’s why I’m the favourite,” Oikawa stuck his tongue out childishly.

“You still have to apologize,” his father reminded.

“I know,” Oikawa said seriously.

“Hiro _does_ suck at volleyball though,” his father added as an afterthought, which earned him another glare from his wife. “Okay, okay, I’ll set a good example. No more insulting people or their children, understood?”

“Yes, otousan,” came a chorus around the table from Oikawa, Tetsu, Narumi, and Shiori.

“Takeru?”

“Yes, ojiichan,” Takeru confirmed.

“Hajime-kun?”

Iwaizumi looked startled at being addressed. He hadn’t realized he had been included in the conversation until the whole table was suddenly looking at him expectantly. “Uhm, yes, sir,” he nodded quickly.

“Yes, what?” Iwaizumi heard Oikawa snicker from beside him, and he held back the familiar urge to glare at him.

“Yes, ojisan,” he repeated, remembering what had happened the last time he had called Oikawa’s father ‘sir.’

“Pardon?”

Iwaizumi frowned. His face felt hot and flushed, and he was sure he looked akin to a tomato. “Yes, otousan?” he repeated unsurely.

“Good,” Oikawa’s father confirmed, patting Iwaizumi’s back firmly. Iwaizumi wanted to bury his head in his hands, or maybe drop his face into the miso soup in front of him and attempt to drown out his embarrassment.

“If it makes you feel better, they did the same thing to me,” Shiori offered a grin from across the table.

The words were reassuring, but they made Iwaizumi flush harder.

“No fair, everyone stop embarrassing Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said seriously. Iwaizumi felt himself release the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding at that. “His face is too cute like this, and only _I_ should be allowed to see that,” Oikawa added, making Iwaizumi let out an audible groan.

“Okay, that’s enough, I think we’ve embarrassed Hajime-kun enough for the entirety of his stay. Finish up dinner before it gets cold,” Oikawa’s mum chided, bringing everyone’s attention back to the meal in front of them, and thankfully _away_ from Iwaizumi.

When dinner was over and Iwaizumi was ushered upstairs with Oikawa, Iwaizumi felt himself relax a little. He had spent four days with Oikawa’s family only a few weeks ago, and while he knew they _liked_ him, Iwaizumi still felt self-conscious around them.

“It’s still only 8 pm, do you want to watch a movie or– mmph,” Oikawa’s eyes went wide at the feeling of Iwaizumi’s lips against his and his fingers digging into his hips.

He had just closed the door, and had been about to suggest that they watch a movie or play a video game until they got sleepy, but he was more than happy spending the rest of the night kissing Iwaizumi as well.

“Ah – ah, _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa giggled nervously when Iwaizumi moved his mouth away from Oikawa’s lips to suck at his neck instead. He bit down at the junction between his neck and shoulder lightly making Oikawa roll his hips against Iwaizumi’s.

“You’re going to have to pay for embarrassing me like that,” Iwaizumi teased between kisses, trailing his mouth over Oikawa’s neck and across his collarbone.

“I don’t – _hah_ ,” Oikawa panted when Iwaizumi moved his hands from Oikawa’s hips to under his t-shirt, letting his thumbs brush against his stomach.

“You don’t, what?” Iwaizumi prompted, bringing his mouth back to Oikawa’s lips before he could answer. He licked a line across his bottom lip, coaxing Oikawa’s mouth open with his tongue until he could slip it inside, exploring the expanse of heat that he hadn’t had the chance to in what felt like too long.

Oikawa fisted Iwaizumi’s shirt with one hand, pulling him in as close as he could even though they were pressed up against one another with no more room between them, while the other hand weaved its way into Iwaizumi’s short, dark hair.

When Iwaizumi’s hands moved lower to slip into the waistband of his boxers, he felt Oikawa’s breath hitch and swallowed the moan that came with it into his own mouth.

Oikawa writhed his hips against Iwaizumi’s hands, but Iwaizumi kept his fingers placed firmly above his slowly hardening length, not giving Oikawa the touch he craved. He pulled away from Iwaizumi’s mouth and frowned.

“That’s not nice,” Oikawa pouted.

“Who said anything about being nice?” Iwaizumi retorted, pressing open-mouthed kisses across Oikawa’s jaw. He nipped at the skin, making Oikawa whine in frustration. He let his thumbs rub slow circles across Oikawa’s pelvis, which only served to increase Oikawa’s irritation.

“Iwa-chan is so mean to me,” Oikawa frowned, turning his head away from Iwaizumi’s mouth. “You don’t see me for almost two weeks and this is how you treat me?” he huffed.

“What? You _don’t_ like being teased?” Iwaizumi smirked, sucking against his bared neck.

“You’re the worst,” Oikawa said weakly, biting his lower lip to prevent himself from moaning too loudly. It didn’t seem like Iwaizumi needed his vocal encouragements though. He knew Oikawa well enough to know just what spots were his most sensitive weaknesses and he didn’t hold back from exploiting them.

Oikawa didn’t even care that his family was downstairs and that they’d _definitely_ be able to see the marks Iwaizumi was leaving on him – too obvious to cover up. He may have been complaining about Iwaizumi’s teasing, but he loved the way Iwaizumi touched him, whether it was with his hands or his mouth, no matter the place.

But Oikawa had enough of letting Iwaizumi appease him with short kisses. He used his hips to push himself off the door and walk Iwaizumi backwards, letting his boyfriend’s back hit his bed. Oikawa fell on top of him, kissing him deeply until Iwaizumi took hold of Oikawa’s shirt and flipped them so he was the one straddling Oikawa instead.

“Oh, so now you don’t want to tease, huh?” Oikawa goaded when Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa’s shirt half-way up his stomach and leaned down to trail kisses over his skin.

“Hmm, says who?” Iwaizumi whispered, between kisses. Oikawa felt like his entire body was melting everywhere Iwaizumi touched him, but that made him crave the feeling even more.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to respond, because he heard footsteps making their way up to the second floor and Oikawa was suddenly reminded that he hadn’t locked the door.

He scrambled into a sitting position, pushing Iwaizumi off to the side in the process. He tried his best to pull down his shirt, fix his hair, and cover up his uncomfortably half-hard dick straining through his pants before the door was thrown open.

“Oh good, you haven’t started the movie without me,” Takeru nodded, ignoring, or maybe not noticing the strained expressions on Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s faces.

“What are you doing here?” Oikawa frowned. “And it’s rude not to knock,” he reminded.

“Sorry,” Takeru apologized sheepishly. “Okaasan said you guys were watching Men in Black – you _know_ that’s my favourite movie,” he frowned, closing the door behind him and settling himself on the bed between Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

Oikawa gave him a deadpan look. _Of course_ his sister sent Takeru up here. Iwaizumi looked sort of amused at the turn of events, and Oikawa couldn’t stay annoyed with Takeru either. If he hadn’t shown up, someone else certainly would have.

“Seriously? Men In Black?” Iwaizumi asked, propping a few pillows against the wall and pushing himself back. “Don’t let Tooru corrupt you with bad alien movies,” he laughed.

“Alien movies aren’t _bad_ ,” Oikawa huffed. He let Iwaizumi and Takeru settle themselves on the bed while he got up to connect his laptop to the tv screen in his room. It seemed like watching a movie was inevitable now. “And just for that, I’m picking the movie tonight and you bet it’ll be about aliens,” Oikawa smirked.

“No way, it’s my turn to pick, remember?” Iwaizumi reminded. “We watched Pacific Rim the last time, and you promised to take turns.”

“Yes, but you actually liked that one. Don’t lie, it was good!” Oikawa insisted.

“Well, I think that Hajime-nii should pick since he’s the guest,” Takeru piped in.

Oikawa narrowed his eyes playfully at Takeru before replying, “Traitor.” He gave in though. “Okay, fine, what do you want to watch?”

“Godzilla,” Iwaizumi replied easily, smiling because he knew what Oikawa was going to say in response to his suggestion.

“We watched that the last time you picked!” Oikawa complained.

“But Takeru wants to watch that, right?” Iwaizumi asked. Takeru nodded eagerly, making Oikawa groan. He searched for the movie in his playlist since Iwaizumi had made him get it the first time they watched and begrudgingly put it on.

He didn’t have much to complain about though – even if the graphics were bad and the dialogue was even worse – when Iwaizumi patted the spot on his right for Oikawa to crawl into. He didn’t pay much attention to the first half of the movie, with Iwaizumi’s hand around his waist, fingers slipping beneath his shirt to run across his hipbone idly.

And he knew he _definitely_ didn’t pay attention to the second half, when he woke up the next morning, head resting against Iwaizumi’s lap while his boyfriend was splayed across his bed, one arm supporting his own head while the other was wrapped protectively around Oikawa’s waist. Takeru was curled up between them, one leg firmly planted on the floor, while his hand clutched at Oikawa’s shirt supportively.

They must have looked like an amusing sight, and if his slightly ajar bedroom door was anything to go by, Oikawa was certain he’d be presented with an unflattering photo when he made his way downstairs for breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this fic is all fluffy and happy, but that scene at the beginning was supposed to be that 'slice of life' action that i have this fic tagged under. life isn't always perfect, which i'm sure you know already if you've read the fic up till now and the best way to move past it is by surrounding yourself by people who love and care about you c: i have a great group of friends who are supportive, and loyal to a fault, and i wouldn't give them up for the world. i wanted Oikawa and Iwaizumi to be able to experience that too!
> 
> next time:  
> \- the return of Makki and Mattsun  
> \- Oikawa in Hokkaido
> 
> ahhh, only 5 chapters left idk what i'm doing ;; technically, only 4 chapters left + an epilogue but wow we're really nearing the end! please leave me a comment/kudos if you enjoyed! ♡


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i still have comments from the last chapter to reply to and i promise i will get to them all! this week has been incredibly busy but i am so touched by the number of people who reached out and _commented_ last week. honestly, you're amazing, thank you! ♡ every single one of those comments meant a lot to me! 
> 
> speaking of comments though, wow we reached 1k+! i mean, about half those are my replies but damn, i'm so blown away ;; 
> 
> and i'm 500% dead bc school is slowly ripping my soul out. i deeply apologize for the lateness in getting this up, but hey, i've still got 40 mins left of Friday so i'm technically not late ;3

The past two summer breaks couldn’t compare to this one. Not even in the slightest. After having spent a week and half with Oikawa, Iwaizumi couldn’t believe he was admitting that he was a little bit _disappointed_ that he was going back home. For someone who wasn’t used to being away from Hokkaido, or even Otaru in general, that was strange. Iwaizumi even _recognized_ the feeling as strange, and yet, he couldn’t shake the disappointment of leaving Oikawa behind, albeit for _two_ days. 

It was unbelievable how Oikawa, and his stupidly dorky charm had rubbed off on Iwaizumi to the point where he didn’t want to be away from him. Oikawa had been worried about becoming overbearing, but if they had spent the entire summer break without seeing one another, Iwaizumi was certain he was the one who would have gone insane.

If he could have caught the train back home from Sendai and brought Oikawa along with him, he would have done it in a heartbeat. 

But Oikawa’s parents insisted that Oikawa give Iwaizumi a few days to relax, and his own mum insisted that he needed to come home and prepare the house like a good host. If only their parents knew that that was the last thing either of them wanted. 

Although, Oikawa was happy to let him know that he’d miss him, even if it was just for two days, the night before Iwaizumi went back to Hokkaido, as they lay in Oikawa’s bed, cuddled underneath two layers of blankets that was far too warm for the hot, August weather. But it didn’t matter – not when Oikawa was naked and pressed up against him, kissing him quietly, and whispering even quieter about how he wanted to keep Iwaizumi here longer, or maybe go back early with him. 

Iwaizumi would never admit it, but it was those tender moments with Oikawa that made him blush the hardest. He was exceptionally _perfect_ and Iwaizumi didn’t know what made someone so beautiful fall in love with him. 

But he wouldn’t question it. Not when he didn’t hold a single doubt about Oikawa’s affections. 

The realization though, made it harder for Iwaizumi to leave the next morning, and even harder for him to spend the next two days, moping around the house when he was supposed to be _cleaning_. 

 _What_ , he needed to clean was beyond him though. His mother liked to keep the house impeccably spotless anyway, and it wasn’t like Iwaizumi had even been home much this school year. He had been sure to tidy up his room before he went to Miyagi, and now that he was back, there wasn’t anything at all to do. 

So he spent the days looking up places that Oikawa might like to visit, or trying to remember things he did in his free time, yet coming up short every single time he thought he had found something. For all his talk about things he wanted to do with Oikawa when he came here, Iwaizumi wasn’t doing a very good job of remembering. 

Take him to a baseball game? _Did Oikawa even like baseball?_ Taking him to a _volleyball_ game would have been better, but it was the off-season for all the professional leagues. He supposed he could have taken Oikawa to his old high school where his kouhai were surely still practicing for the upcoming summer tournament, but that was so lame that the idea barely crossed his mind before he shut it down. 

Oikawa had done plenty to make his trip to Miyagi more than memorable. Hell, Iwaizumi would have been perfectly fine just spending his days at home with Oikawa, but there wasn’t a single day that they didn’t do _something_. Whether it was taking Takeru to his volleyball games, practicing spikes and serves with Oikawa’s nephew in the park, hiking up Mount Izumigatake or going to the beach with Daichi and Suga – Oikawa had always been sure to keep Iwaizumi occupied. 

He realized he was being a bit of a hypocrite because he had insisted that Oikawa didn’t need to go out of his way to do anything for him, especially while he was visiting; this had ended up in cancelled dinner plans on more than one occasion, but in Iwaizumi’s unbiased opinion, the resulting cliffside stargazing dates had been a much better alternative. 

But even after having told Oikawa that he didn’t need him to plan something special, that was exactly what Iwaizumi found himself doing. All of Oikawa's plans were things they both enjoyed, they seemed so _effortless_ , but Iwaizumi still felt the unintentional pressure of his boyfriend’s thoughtfulness. 

He had woken up the morning that Oikawa’s train was due to arrive in a bit of a panic because he _still_ had nothing to show Oikawa. He doubted that his boyfriend would make a big deal out of it, but it made Iwaizumi nervous. 

His mother had gone off to work before Iwaizumi had gotten up for the day, which wasn’t an irregular occurrence, but considering his last resort was to ask her for advice on what to show Oikawa while he was here, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but groan. Although she _had_ baked a fresh loaf of milk bread, which she left on the kitchen counter, so Iwaizumi couldn’t be all that annoyed. 

Oikawa loved that stuff, and it was sweet of his mum to have gone out of her way to bake it for him. 

But that didn’t make up for Iwaizumi’s lack of planning. Maybe coming home only two days before Oikawa wasn’t enough time… but it was too late to think about that now. Something about showing Oikawa his hometown was just _special_ , and it made him feel like a complete idiot. 

He knew Oikawa would like anything, but he didn’t want this visit to be good, he wanted it to be _memorable_. He wanted Oikawa to come back. If Iwaizumi was being honest with himself, the cause of his nerves lay in that thought. 

Oikawa’s train didn’t arrive till mid-afternoon, which gave him plenty of time to figure out something for them to do – maybe not for the entire week that he was here, but at least figure out how to spend the rest of the _day_. As long as he tackled one day at a time, Iwaizumi was certain he would manage it. 

Or so he thought. 

Four hours later: Iwaizumi had lost track of time, and had also come up with zero ideas. 

“Yo, Iwaizumi!” The voice of his friend from the front of his house caught Iwaizumi completely off guard. In his startled state, he shut the lid of his laptop down quickly and turned his body towards the living room entrance where Hanamaki and Matsukawa stood with matching smug faces.

 “What was that?” Matsukawa asked, jerking his head towards the laptop that Iwaizumi had closed a little too quickly to be inconspicuous. 

“What?” he asked, hoping that they’d drop the subject if he feigned innocence. He never had been a good actor though, especially in the face of his best friends whom he had known since the beginning of high school. 

“Were you watching porn? You know that we won’t judge, Hajime,” Hanamaki tried to say with a straight face, but the edge of his lips quirking up gave away his amusement. 

“I was _not_ ,” Iwaizumi growled, unsure why he was rising to their bait. He shoved his laptop down next to him on the couch, making Hanamaki and Matsukawa all the more curious. They stepped into the living room and cornered Iwaizumi who was still sitting on the couch looking guilty. 

“He has a boyfriend now,” Matsukawa reminded Hanamaki casually. “He doesn’t need to watch porn anymore – I bet he gets enough nudes,” he continued like Iwaizumi _wasn’t_ right there – like they weren’t talking _about him_. 

Iwaizumi’s deceiving mind flashed back to the night before when Oikawa had in fact sent him a video of a striptease and his face flushed at the memory. He tried to think of something else – _anything else_ – but Hanamaki and Matsukawa had already seen through his embarrassment. 

“See, the way he’s blushing says enough,” Matsukawa added. Hanamaki pinched his cheeks like he was observing Iwaizumi closely.

“What the fuck do you guys want?” Iwaizumi groaned. 

“Well, we were here to tell you that it’s 1:30 pm, and your boyfriend’s train arrives at 1:45 pm, so, you should probably get a move on,” Hanamaki shrugged. “But now, I think I’m more curious about the contents on your laptop.” 

Iwaizumi froze at hearing the time repeated to him. He flicked his wrist up and almost groaned again when he caught sight of the time on his watch. So Hanamaki _wasn’t_ just bullshitting him. He immediately scampered off the couch, grabbing his car keys and rushing to put on his shoes, repeating curses under his breath. 

This was a bad start. Oikawa might not _tell_ _him_ that he was upset that Iwaizumi forgot to pick him up, but he knew that his boyfriend would definitely _be_ upset. And Iwaizumi couldn’t blame him because he had promised to be there on time. 

He rushed out of the house, not even bothering to lock it with Hanamaki and Matsukawa still inside and turned on the car. His mother had left him the family car since his was still back at school, which was good considering it was bigger and he’d probably need it to fit all of Oikawa’s bags. 

Only when he was about to shift gears and turn out of the driveway did he realize that he had forgotten his phone back in the house where it had been sitting in charge for two hours, which was probably how he lost track of the time anyway, considering Oikawa had been texting him _all morning_. He didn’t mind it, not when he got to see the ridiculously cute messages Oikawa texted him, but it also depleted his phone battery very quickly and distracted him from searching up attractions, of all things, to impress Oikawa with.

Before he could open the car door and go back into the house to get his phone however – how else was he supposed to call Oikawa and let him know that he _was_ going to pick him up… just maybe a little later than planned – Hanamaki and Matsukawa had hopped into the back. 

“Forgetting something?” Matsukawa asked, sliding over Iwaizumi’s phone. He turned back to buckle his seatbelt and Iwaizumi didn’t have the energy, or the time, to argue that his friends _leave_.

He resigned a sigh and pulled out of the driveway, hoping against all odds that his friends would stay quiet, but that was clearly too much to ask.

“So… what were you looking at if it wasn’t porn?” Hanamaki asked two seconds after Iwaizumi had gotten onto the road. 

“For fuck’s sake, Makki, don’t distract me,” Iwaizumi grit out, hands gripping the steering wheel awfully tight. He felt like an asshole – no he _was_ an asshole. An idiot too. He couldn’t believe he had gotten up early and _still_ managed to lose track of the time. 

At this point though, admitting he was watching porn would have been easier than admitting that he was actually trying to look up places to take Oikawa that were _romantic_ , because he’d never in a million years say that to his friends. They’d tease him mercilessly, and Iwaizumi would never hear the end of it. 

“We know you have videos of Oikawa on your phone,” Matsukawa supplied. “Ow, fuck, be careful,” he chided when Iwaizumi braked a little too suddenly at a red light and his head went flying into the seat in front. 

“You went through my phone?” He ignored the jibe about being careful. If his friends went through his phone, that was the least of their worries. 

“Of course not,” Matsukawa denied.

“Oikawa told us,” Hanamaki supplied at Iwaizumi’s questioning look. 

“He _what_?” 

“Don’t act like we’re not friends. We have a group chat you know,” Hanamaki smirked, watching the way Iwaizumi’s eyebrows furrowed with each word. “That’s how we knew when his train was arriving since you don’t tell us _anything_ when it comes to him. You’re a shit friend,” he added teasingly. 

“And a shit boyfriend,” Matsukawa said unhelpfully. “You’re going to be late.” 

Iwaizumi suppressed the urge to groan again. He didn’t need his friends to tell him that. Suddenly though, the idea of being late and accidentally upsetting Oikawa was forgotten. He had more pressing things to worry about; like how his best friends had a _group chat_ with his boyfriend and he wasn’t in it. 

It wasn’t that he felt excluded. He couldn’t care less about that. What he _did_ care about though were the kinds of things being said about him. The three of them had no filter and each knew things about Iwaizumi that he didn’t want the other party knowing. 

“Don’t say another word or I’m stopping at the curb and hauling your asses out,” Iwaizumi threatened. 

Hanamaki and Matsukawa seemed to take Iwaizumi’s threat seriously – or maybe they just had enough of teasing him – and they shut up for the rest of the ride, _thankfully_. 

Otaru Station wasn’t that far from his house, but by the time they parked and arrived, he was still twenty minutes late. The station was busy but Iwaizumi spotted Oikawa’s tall head peeking out from above the crowd instantly. He looked kind of like a tourist, wearing a pair of khaki coloured linen shorts, a blue short-sleeved button down and black slip-ons; he was staring down through his sunglasses thoughtfully at something on his phone, mouth curved up into a small smile, which automatically put a grin on Iwaizumi’s own face. 

Iwaizumi mentally prepared himself for some kind of taunt about being late, but the moment he tapped Oikawa on the shoulder and his boyfriend turned around, his lips stretched into a wide, sincere smile. He threw his hands around Iwaizumi’s neck and squeezed tightly, threatening to cut off Iwaizumi’s air supply. 

“I missed you,” he whispered, almost hesitantly, considering it had only been two days since they had last seen one another. 

“I missed you too,” Iwaizumi chuckled pulling Oikawa back so he could look at him properly. He seemed a little tired – most likely from the long train ride – but otherwise fine and not at all upset. But he also looked _good_ , and Iwaizumi was immediately drawn to the stretch of Oikawa’s long, pale legs peeking out from right above his knees all the way down to his ankles. 

He must have stared at him for too long because Oikawa’s mouth quirked up and he said a little too loudly to be considered private, “Don’t undress me with your eyes in _public_ , Iwa-chan.” 

“You’re such an asshole,” Iwaizumi huffed, looping an arm around Oikawa’s neck and pulling him down. 

“Ow, _ow_ , you big brute,” Oikawa complained, trying to fight off Iwaizumi’s strong grip. But he was smiling up at Iwaizumi sincerely, and the look on his face had Iwaizumi softening his hold until Oikawa slipped out and placed a kiss to his cheek in retaliation. He could _feel_ his face heating up, as if Oikawa’s smug expression wasn’t enough to tell him that he looked visibly embarrassed. 

He looked over to the side where his friends were watching. Their equally amused expressions made Iwaizumi want to put Oikawa into a headlock again, but it also made him want to kiss him senseless until Oikawa was the one flushing and embarrassed. 

“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” Hanamaki apologized once he and Matsukawa had made their way over, deeming Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s private reunion to be over. He extended a hand and grabbed Oikawa in a one-armed hug. 

“Yeah,” Matsukawa agreed, moving in to greet Oikawa once Hanamaki was done. “It’s our fault for distracting him.”

Iwaizumi looked between his friends and Oikawa skeptically. Were they in on some kind of plot? He quickly dismissed the suspicions though when Oikawa smiled warmly at him again, shaking his head at the explanation. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he agreed. Iwaizumi was surprised he was taking this in stride. “I’ll just have Iwa-chan cater to my every need to make up for it,” he added, flashing Iwaizumi a bright grin. Ah, there was the catch.

Despite himself, Iwaizumi’s lips quirked up into a small smile. “Sure,” he agreed easily, bending down to pick up Oikawa’s bags. “You hungry?” he asked, leading the way back to the car. 

With Oikawa staying until he and Iwaizumi were ready to go back to school, he had brought all the bags that he packed with him. Iwaizumi had convinced him to bring the number down to three, which was a challenge but he was pleasantly surprised when three bags were all that Oikawa had arrived with. 

“A little,” he agreed. “How are you guys?” he asked politely turning towards Hanamaki and Matsukawa. 

“Good,” Matsukawa answered. “Been enjoying the break. I can’t believe it’s almost over though,” he sighed. 

“I don’t know,” Oikawa shrugged. “I’m kind of excited to go back to school,” he smiled. 

“That’s because you have a boyfriend to be excited _about_ ,” Hanamaki reminded, making Oikawa blush slightly. He didn’t deny it though, and the way Oikawa’s face heated up made Iwaizumi’s turn a little pink as well. “Anyway, how’s our favourite setter been?” 

Oikawa beamed at the compliment. 

“Don’t inflate his ego,” Iwaizumi chided teasingly.

“Don’t be mean, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa squawked indignantly. 

“Yeah, _Iwa-chan_ ,” Hanamaki and Matsukawa repeated in sync. 

“Do you _want_ me to leave you here without a ride?” Iwaizumi threatened. 

“Sorry, Iwa-chan,” they apologized together. Iwaizumi felt his eye twitch but he decided to drop it. His friends could be dicks, but they also had his back and he supposed he still owed them for not telling Oikawa he just _lost track of the time_. 

“I’m good,” Oikawa said, answering Hanamaki’s question. “A little excited because this is my first time in Hokkaido,” he admitted. The way he looked at Iwaizumi though, made Iwaizumi feel like his visit to the island for the first time wasn’t the only reason Oikawa was excited to be there. 

“You’ll love it here. Iwaizumi has been planning your trip very carefully,” Matsukawa smirked. So they _had_ seen what he was looking up on his laptop.

Oikawa beamed brightly, and Iwaizumi felt his throat go dry at the sight. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were _so dead_ the moment he got them alone. Screw being thankful to them for bailing him out of having almost forgotten to pick Oikawa up; now they owed him for digging him into a grave like that. 

“Let’s go out to eat!” Oikawa announced, cutting Iwaizumi’s internal struggles off. “You, me, Makki, and Mattsun,” he clarified, looking pleadingly at Iwaizumi. When he widened his already large, brown eyes at him like that, there wasn’t a chance in the world that Iwaizumi was going to say ‘no.’ 

“Yeah, okay,” he agreed, moving to the back of the car as Oikawa let out an excited yelp. Iwaizumi pulled open the trunk of the SUV and fit Oikawa’s bags in the back while Oikawa, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa discussed where to go out for lunch. 

When he got into the driver’s seat, the other three had already settled in. “We’re going to _Mashiro_ ,” Hanamaki declared. 

“Sure,” Iwaizumi agreed once again, acquiesced by Oikawa's presence. It wasn’t that far of a drive from the train station; they could have honestly walked, but everyone was already seated and buckled in. 

“You know, that’s where Iwaizumi had his first date,” Matsukawa stated conversationally. 

“Fuck you guys,” Iwaizumi groaned. The fact that both of the idiots were sitting in the backseat made it a little harder for him to reach behind and punch either of them, but once they got out of the car, it was a completely different story. 

Iwaizumi looked over hesitantly at Oikawa who was sitting in the passenger seat in the front next to him, but he didn’t look annoyed, just… _thoughtful_. 

“What?” Iwaizumi asked nervously, not knowing what his boyfriend was thinking. 

Oikawa didn’t answer him for a few seconds, and Iwaizumi felt his palms start to sweat. “I want to go to all the places where Iwa-chan’s ever had a date before,” he said after a while, speaking mostly to Hanamaki and Matsukawa in the back through the rear-view mirror, expression firm and unyielding. 

“Done,” they agreed easily, not even questioning Oikawa’s motives. 

“ _Why_?” Iwaizumi sighed exasperatedly.

Were they _trying_ to embarrass him? He knew it was a bad idea to let Hanamaki and Matsukawa come along. He should have left them at the train station. They would have been able to make it back home just fine if he had. 

“So that you can make new memories with me, _duh_ ,” Oikawa explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Iwaizumi felt his face heat up at the declaration. The suggestion was oddly _sweet_ if entirely _Oikawa_. Iwaizumi couldn’t deny that seeing Oikawa jealous was _cute_ , and the way his cheeks were flushed pink made the sight even better. He almost wished someone else was driving so he could take in that sight for longer than a mere few seconds. 

“That was so smooth,” Matsukawa groaned, pressing his head back into the headrest, eyes closed in admiration. “Teach me, Oikawa-senpai,” he added, making Oikawa grin brightly. 

“ _You_ ,” Iwaizumi said, pointing to Oikawa. “Don’t teach them anything. And _you two_ ,” he pointed to the back. “You’re not allowed to say anything else incriminating otherwise I _will_ tell our kouhai that the two pairs of boxers that are stuffed in the untouchable locker back in the high school change rooms belong to you two,” he threatened. 

“Fine, fine,” they conceded. Oikawa pouted a little even though he agreed; the petulant expression was replaced by a satisfied one though, as soon as Iwaizumi reached for Oikawa’s hand and clasped it between his snugly for the rest of the drive. 

Lunch was a surprisingly relaxed event. Iwaizumi had expected Hanamaki and Matsukawa to gang up on him and embarrass him further in front of Oikawa, but they were _tame_ , for a lack of better words. They didn’t relent on the teasing, but at least they kept the really embarrassing stories to themselves. 

Oikawa ate up all the new information, even going as far as to give Hanamaki and Matsukawa new stories to add to their collection of things they could tease Iwaizumi with. He acted like he was annoyed with them, but with Oikawa’s hand brushing over his thigh under the table, he didn’t have much to complain about. 

When they were ready to pay, Iwaizumi told Oikawa he’d cover for him, which earned him a quick kiss to the cheek. “Iwa-chan likes to show off his money,” Oikawa joked. Iwaizumi hit him upside the head lightly, but he wasn’t truly upset – if only because he knew Oikawa was simply teasing him, and his boyfriend hadn’t let Iwaizumi pay for a single thing when he was visiting him, so this was only fair. 

“He never shows off for us,” Hanamaki sighed.

“You two act like I’ve never taken you out,” Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow questioningly. 

“Two dates? Wow, I didn’t know you had that much game,” Oikawa laughed, squeezing Iwaizumi’s hand between his tightly when that earned him a grumpy look. “I’m going to use the bathroom first. I’ll be right back,” Oikawa announced, letting go of Iwaizumi’s hand and heading down a narrow path of stairs that lead to the restaurant bathroom. 

“The marina,” Hanamaki said once Oikawa was gone, leaning back in his seat. 

“What about the marina?” Iwaizumi questioned. 

“Take Oikawa there,” Matsukawa clarified. “That’s what you were worried about, right? Not having something special to show him.” 

Iwaizumi’s eyebrows furrowed further in thought.

“It’ll be better at night,” Hanamaki continued. “You know how the canal lights up, and there’s that grove of flowers right by the bridge before it leads off to the marina? You’re technically not supposed to be there that late, but I’ll ask my dad if he’ll make an exception for you,” he offered. 

“And,” Matsukawa said a little too happily to be considered anything less than suspicious. “It would be a good spot to do some confessing if you know what I mean,” he wiggled his thick eyebrows. 

Iwaizumi flushed, not really wanting to have this conversation, but knowing there was no way he could get out of it. He looked to the stairs leading down to the bathroom to no avail – Oikawa still hadn’t come back yet. 

“I already told him,” he said quickly. 

“Excuse me,” Hanamaki said abruptly. “I don’t think I heard you right. You better not have said that you already told your boyfriend you _loved_ him and not even mentioned it to us,” he guffawed, looking wholly unimpressed. 

“Why would I have to tell you two?” he crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. 

“Because we’re your _best friends_ ,” Hanamaki continued. Matsukawa nodded from next to him, suddenly standing up straight. Iwaizumi had never hated being shorter than the other two as much as he did at that moment. 

“Why does Makki look like he wants to kill you?” Oikawa asked brightly coming up behind Iwaizumi and slipping back into his seat. 

“What took you so long?” Iwaizumi asked, maybe a little too roughly. 

“I was gone for _two minutes_ ,” Oikawa protested indignantly. 

“Oi, don’t change the subject. You too, pretty boy. Where has this love been hiding in our conversations, hmm?” Hanamaki asked bluntly. 

“Oh, is that what we’re talking about?” Oikawa chuckled. “I didn’t know Iwa-chan didn’t tell you but I mean, it _was_ kind of cheesy how he said it after we had sex,” Oikawa sighed dramatically. 

Matsukawa and Hanamaki burst into loud laughter while Iwaizumi buried his face in his palms. “What?” Oikawa asked innocently, trying to peel Iwaizumi’s hands away. 

“I thought we were going with the ‘Mount Fuji’ explanation,” Iwaizumi reminded. 

“You’re the one who kept insisting we not lie,” Oikawa frowned.

“ _You’re_ the one who told Suga otherwise,” Iwaizumi reminded pointedly. 

“Oh come on, don’t tell me you’re embarrassed,” Oikawa said, lips teetering on the edge of a smile. “Iwa-chan, I’m sorry,” Oikawa whispered, voice suddenly low and not at all suitable for the setting. He leaned in closer and brought his mouth to Iwaizumi’s ear before adding, “I’ll make it up to you tonight, I promise.” 

Ah _fuck_. How was Iwaizumi ever supposed to keep a straight face when Oikawa spoke to him in _that_ voice. 

“Okay, that’s enough you two,” Matsukawa scolded, while Hanamaki mimed gagging. Iwaizumi glared in their direction, but the look wasn’t at all effective when he was smiling through it. 

“Come on,” Iwaizumi tugged Oikawa’s hand, pulling him up so they could pay and leave. 

“My mum’s coming back late tonight,” Iwaizumi said quietly so that Hanamaki and Matsukawa behind them couldn’t hear. They had exited the store and were on their way back to the car so Iwaizumi could take Oikawa home. Oikawa hadn’t complained, but he did _look_ exhausted, which was expected considering the early train ride he had to catch. 

“Oh? And what does that mean for us?” Oikawa asked teasingly. 

“Whatever you want,” Iwaizumi said easily. “As long as you give me an encore of that video you sent the other day,” he grinned, pulling Oikawa’s hand so that their shoulders bumped as they walked back. 

“Done,” Oikawa agreed. “Hey, where are you guys going?” he asked, turning around, noticing that Matsukawa and Hanamaki were moving towards the crosswalk instead of the parking lot where Iwaizumi had parked his car. 

Matsukawa grinned lazily. “Home, but we’ll take the train. I think we’ve intruded on your time alone for long enough.” 

“You don’t have to do that!” Oikawa insisted. “Right, Iwa-chan? They don’t have to do that?” he asked. 

Iwaizumi nodded. As much as he liked spending time with Oikawa, he also liked his friends. They got along well with Oikawa, who in turn got along well with them and even though the three of them together meant an onslaught of embarrassment for Iwaizumi, it was nice, and familiar. It also gave him the chance to gaze unabashedly at Oikawa while he laughed at something Hanamaki or Matsukawa said, eyes closed and teeth flashing with the action, and that was a kind of opportunity Iwaizumi never wanted to miss. 

“Stay,” he agreed. “Let me drive you home at least if you don’t want to come over.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Hanamaki shook his head. “We’ll see you later this week,” he promised. He and Matsukawa turned to cross before Hanamaki turned around and yelled, “I’ll text you about the marina, Iwaizumi!” 

“Marina?” Oikawa tilted his head to the side questioningly. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Iwaizumi waved his hand dismissively. 

“Okay,” Oikawa nodded, slipping his hand out of Iwaizumi’s to get into the car. Iwaizumi got in on the other side, and immediately tugged at Oikawa, pressing his lips firmly against Oikawa’s. 

Oikawa’s eyes widened in surprise, but he soon melted into Iwaizumi’s warm touch, breathing in the scent of Iwaizumi’s wonderful cologne, moulding his lips against his boyfriend’s with ease. 

“What was that for?” Oikawa blinked back, surprised, when they pulled apart. 

“Nothing,” Iwaizumi shrugged. “I just missed you,” he admitted, face flushing for what seemed like the hundredth time in the hour and half since Oikawa’s arrival. 

The admission brought a bubbling laughter out of Oikawa. He pulled his left hand up to cup Iwaizumi’s jaw, tracing along the length of it slowly. “Love you,” he smiled, leaning in to press another slow kiss to Iwaizumi’s lips. 

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed when they pulled back. “Yeah, me too.” 

Oikawa beamed at him sunnily at the declaration; as if there was ever a doubt that Iwaizumi would reply with anything other than assurance that he loved him too.

“Say, can we go home and nap? I woke up kind of early,” Oikawa chuckled. 

“I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time with you,” Iwaizumi grinned. His grin split into a laugh when Oikawa’s face lit up, his high cheekbones turning an adorable shade of pink. Iwaizumi leaned in and kissed the blush, which made Oikawa close his eyes against the feeling. 

“You’re such a sap. Maybe I _should_ have gone with the ‘Mount Fuji’ version. Everyone would have believed it, anyway,” he teased, moving away to buckle his seat. 

“Shut up, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi chuckled half-heartedly, feeling the effects of smiling so much around Oikawa seep into the aching around his jaw.

He wouldn’t have it any other way though. Oikawa was a dork, too competitive for his own good, and entirely stubborn, but he made Iwaizumi unbelievably happy, even when he was doing nothing but leaning his cheeks against his palm, elbow rested on the window of the car, while his other hand was entwined in Iwaizumi’s comfortably; even when he was humming nonsense tunes and tapping his foot softly against the floor of the car, smiling that lazy, comfortable smile that was reserved just for his happiest moments. 

He was fucking _perfect_ , and Iwaizumi would repeat the words over and over again, as long as Oikawa would let him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4 chapters to go *weeps*
> 
> next time:  
> \- the return of Iwaizumi's mother  
> \- cooking lessons with Oikawa
> 
> i hope you enjoyed this chapter! leave me a comment/kudos if you liked, please? ♡


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just wanna say, this chapter is dedicated to my wife hinata ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/hinata_ora/pseuds/hinata_ora) | [tumblr](https://iwaoi-sama.tumblr.com/)) bc she's an inspiration and one of my biggest supporters ♡ y'all should check out her artworks and fanfics if you haven't!
> 
> so far, this chapter is just a culmination of how _far_ iwaoi have come in their relationship. there weren't always conversations about them talking and doing every day stuff, so i thought i would just their progress as the fic is nearing an end
> 
> on a side note: i slept for 11 hours and i feel so a l i v e ;; i've been really sleep deprived lately so i guess this is what happens when i finally have the time to just relax although i actually don't have time with so many midterms/lab reports/assignments/tests on Monday/Tuesday *cries for days*

Waking up next to Iwaizumi was becoming a regular occurrence in Oikawa’s life and he couldn’t say that he minded it very much at all. Iwaizumi was warm, and he always smelled good, even when he smelled slightly of sweat from the way Oikawa clung to him during the night.

He would have apologized, if it wasn’t for the fact that Oikawa knew just how much Iwaizumi liked it when they woke up with Oikawa snuggled against his chest and Iwaizumi’s strong arms wrapped around his waist and back. Sometimes they’d wake up with Oikawa clinging to Iwaizumi’s back, but that was only when it was _too hot_ and Oikawa refused to sleep with the window open so Iwaizumi turned away to find some sort of release from the unbearable heat.

Other times, they’d wake up with Oikawa cocooned into a tight ball and Iwaizumi pressed up close to him, their legs intertwined in one another’s carelessly – the mess of blankets and sheets weaving between them.

Oikawa didn’t mind waking up like that – he actually really liked the feeling of Iwaizumi’s protective arms around him, and Iwaizumi quite liked waking up like that as well. He often joked that it was only because it made Iwaizumi feel taller, which promptly earned him a light smack to the ass because Oikawa was teasing enough to make those comments with Iwaizumi’s strong arms still wrapped around him.

Still, his favourite position to wake up in was the one where his ear was pressed up against Iwaizumi’s chest so he could hear the soft thumping of his heartbeat, and Iwaizumi's thumb was smoothly brushing at the bare skin of his hipbones. Oikawa was usually the early riser between the two, and he loved every moment of it because he got to stare at Iwaizumi’s sleeping form unabashedly, but there was also something soft and soothing about the way Iwaizumi looked at him when he was the first to wake up.

That particular morning, it was Iwaizumi who had woken up first. He was turned to his side, head fitted in his palm, as he rested his right elbow on the pillow to hold him up. His left hand brushed the peaking skin of Oikawa’s stomach where his shirt had ridden up during the night.

Iwaizumi dragged his thumb in slow, lazy circles across Oikawa's hipbone; both the touch and the warmth caused a shiver to run through Oikawa’s body even though he was still half-asleep. The sound of Iwaizumi deep chuckling at the sight was what brought Oikawa closer to the land of the living.

He cracked open an eye, adjusting to the brightness in Iwaizumi’s room. The curtains were a light shade of blue, and they made sleeping in almost impossible. Not that Oikawa was complaining, because waking up to the sight of Iwaizumi gazing at him sweetly was something Oikawa would never complain about.

“Morning,” Oikawa smiled, closing his eyes briefly as a yawn overtook him. He moved a hand to cover his open mouth, but Iwaizumi’s left hand was on it immediately, bringing it down and lacing their fingers together now that he was awake.

“Morning,” Iwaizumi greeted, offering Oikawa a lazy smile, quite suitable for the setting.

The softness of the navy bedding they were sleeping on matched the softness of Iwaizumi’s tone, and it made Oikawa move in closer and snuggle his face into Iwaizumi’s broad chest that much further.

“What time is it?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the spot over his heart. He felt Iwaizumi shiver above him and it put a satisfied smile on Oikawa’s face.

“Quarter to eight.”

“Wow, you’ve been waking up early recently,” Oikawa laughed lightly. “I must be rubbing off on you,” he teased, smiling happily.

“I’d be surprised if you didn’t considering how much time we spend together,” he laughed, pushing Oikawa onto his back gently so he could roll over on top of him.

“Is that a complaint?” Oikawa asked knowingly.

“Of course not,” Iwaizumi responded without missing a beat. “Love you,” he said in warning before he pressed his lips against Oikawa’s. They were barely touching, there was no ulterior motive other than to just _kiss_ , and the thought left a warm, tingling feeling all throughout Oikawa’s body.

“Ugh, we should brush our teeth and shower,” Oikawa sighed, moving his head to the side so that his cheek rested on the pillow. He hadn’t meant for Iwaizumi to take that as an invitation to continue kissing him, but with his neck bared like that, Oikawa supposed that maybe he had subconsciously done it anyway.

Iwaizumi hummed at the statement but otherwise didn’t move to do anything about it. Instead, he pressed his lips to the junction of Oikawa’s neck and fluttered kisses all over the smooth skin. Oikawa tried not to let Iwaizumi leave marks in any visible spots, but he had been touch-starved for two days, which wasn’t all that long in honesty, but Iwaizumi spoiled him, and he wasn’t afraid to admit it.

So he did nothing when Iwaizumi lightly scraped his teeth over the skin, nipping at it occasionally before he moved on to a new spot.

Oikawa’s hands found themselves weaved in between Iwaizumi’s short hair. He couldn’t help but moan weakly every time Iwaizumi’s tongue darted out to lick a sore spot, which just spurred Iwaizumi on further.

About fifteen minutes later, Oikawa was half-hard in his sweatpants, and Iwaizumi looked way too delighted with Oikawa’s rumpled appearance.

When he caught sight of what Iwaizumi had done to his neck in the bathroom mirror, Oikawa wanted to scold him, but he felt an odd sense of endearment when he pressed his thumb into the bruises and felt a pleasurable pain shoot through his spine.

“Too much?” Iwaizumi asked lightly, coming up to wrap his arms around Oikawa’s waist and place his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder. Oikawa could feel Iwaizumi's own growing erection, and it made him feel a little smug to know that just a little bit of kissing and he could make his boyfriend feel that way.

“You think?” Oikawa asked sarcastically.

“Sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized, pressing a soft kiss to Oikawa’s bare shoulder.

“No you’re not,” Oikawa chuckled.

Iwaizumi joined in, shaking his head and accidentally brushing his hair against Oikawa’s cheek. “You’re right, I’m not. I don’t want people thinking you’re available.”

“You’re so possessive,” Oikawa laughed. “And I can’t believe I ever thought you weren’t into me,” he teased, earning him a wonderfully red blush from Iwaizumi.

“Shut up,” he mumbled weakly, pulling away from Oikawa so he could turn on the bath instead.

Normally, Oikawa would have been fine with a shower – he might have even preferred it, but once he saw the size of the bathtub, he had been sold on taking a bath instead.

They really couldn’t let an opportunity like that go to waste, in Oikawa’s opinion. The bathrooms in Tokyo were tiny, especially on their student budgets, and while Oikawa’s family home had a decent sized bathroom, it was _nothing_ compared to what Iwaizumi had. The moment Oikawa’s eyes landed on the jet streams poking out around the lower circumference of the bathtub, his eyes had gone impossibly wide.

Iwaizumi could do nothing to dissuade him after that, because Oikawa was sure to put on his most endearing look, which always made Iwaizumi give in.

Oikawa discarded his pants while Iwaizumi fiddled with the buttons, since Oikawa had no idea what any of them did. It didn’t seem like Iwaizumi knew much about them either with the way his tongue was sticking out in concentration and his eyebrows were scrunched up furiously. The sight made Oikawa giggle but Iwaizumi was so busy figuring out how all the buttons worked, that he didn’t notice, until Oikawa pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.

“Did you just take a picture of me?” he asked, face turned up towards Oikawa who was leaning against the bathroom counter, stark naked and very delighted.

“Maybe,” Oikawa shrugged, holding his arm out far above his head so that Iwaizumi couldn’t take his phone away.

“Delete it,” Iwaizumi groaned, coming over and putting pressure on Oikawa’s shoulder until he relented his hold on his phone.

“No way, you look so cute! I won't send it to anyone, I swear. You’re still wearing pants so it’s not even provocative,” Oikawa protested. “I have more incriminating photos on here,” he reminded.

“Delete those too,” Iwaizumi growled.

“Only if you delete the ones of me,” Oikawa smirked.

He watched Iwaizumi’s face shift thoughtfully. Eventually, he grunted – a sign of defeat – and moved back to the bathtub, which was now full of warm, soapy water. Oikawa grinned victoriously and stepped in, his phone at a safe distance with the rest of his clothes piled near the door.

“I can’t believe you brought your phone into the bathroom. Who even does that?” Iwaizumi asked, stepping in after Oikawa, pulling Oikawa’s back in towards his chest.

“Lots of people!” Oikawa defended. “I text you while I’m in the shower all the time!” He leaned further back and tossed some of the hot water streaming in from beneath him over his chest.

“Do you actually?” Iwaizumi sounded skeptical.

“Want me to prove it the next time?” Oikawa challenged.

“No, that’s okay,” Iwaizumi denied, reaching for the body wash and shower cloth. He wet the cloth and poured some fresh scented body wash onto it, nudging Oikawa forward so that he could create enough space to wash his back.

“So you _don’t_ want to see pictures of me naked?” Oikawa squawked.

“That’s not what I said,” Iwaizumi shook his head, letting his hands trail up the length of Oikawa’s spine softly as he scrubbed away. “I would just prefer to see it in person, that’s all,” he shrugged, but it wasn’t as nonchalant as he made it out to be.

Oikawa whipped his head back just in time to see the flush creeping up Iwaizumi’s neck and face before his boyfriend turned his head away.

“You’re so cute when you’re romantic,” Oikawa cooed, eyes sparkling at the fact that Iwaizumi was sweet enough to want Oikawa _with_ him.

“Is that really romantic?” Iwaizumi asked embarrassedly.

“Of course,” Oikawa insisted. “Super romantic,” he nodded his head seriously. “Like telling your boyfriend you love him after sex in the back of a car, _romantic_ ,” he teased.

Iwaizumi groaned, dropping his head back against the side of the tub. “Are you ever going to let that go?”

“Nope!” Oikawa responded brightly.

“I hate you,” Iwaizumi grumbled.

“Oh, so you only love me when you want my body?” Oikawa quipped.

“W– what? You _know_ that’s not true,” Iwaizumi said immediately, voice strained.

He stopped his explanation when Oikawa burst into laughter. His face was turned so Iwaizumi couldn’t see it, but the way his red ears were peaking out behind his hair, he knew that Oikawa was equally amused as embarrassed.

“You’re such a shit,” he huffed. “Just shut up and enjoy your stupid bath,” he grumbled, lathering the cloth with more soap as he moved on to Oikawa’s arms.

“I’m sorry, I love you, please forgive me?” Oikawa asked poutily. Iwaizumi couldn’t tell if he was joking, but it looked like he was somewhere between sincerity and amusement so he shrugged and pressed a kiss to Oikawa’s cheek, mumbling something about him _staying still_.

“Your house is nice,” Oikawa commented when it was his turn to scrub Iwaizumi.

With the summer heat, it was easy to build up sweat and grime, which often led to more than one shower a day, but in times like these where Oikawa could indulge, he couldn’t really complain. He liked running his fingers across Iwaizumi's back, dipping them between the ridges of his muscles, pressing down between them because it _always_ made Iwaizumi groan – one of the most satisfying sounds to Oikawa’s ears.

“Thanks,” Iwaizumi mumbled, doing his best not to let the way Oikawa was touching him arouse him further.

“It’s big, but not like _too_ big, you know?” he asked, speaking more to himself than Iwaizumi, but his boyfriend hummed in acknowledgement all the same. “I thought you’d have maids running or something like that,” he laughed.

“I’m not _that_ rich,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, feeling his face flush.

“Right, so just rich enough to own four nice cars,” Oikawa teased. When he felt Iwaizumi’s muscles tense beneath him, he pressed his fingers deeper, easing some of the tension away. “I’m just kidding, you know that, right?”

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed, dropping his arms around the edge of the tub, slumping forward so that some of the ceramic could cool down the heat pooling in his stomach.

“You can tell me to stop,” Oikawa reminded gently.

“I don’t really care. I know you don’t mean anything by it,” Iwaizumi added.

“Hmm good,” Oikawa pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder, handing Iwaizumi the wash cloth for him to tend to his front.

They fell into a peaceful rhythm after that. Iwaizumi readjusted himself so he could lean back against the tub with Oikawa pressed up against his chest comfortably. Oikawa fiddled with all the setting in the bathtub, wholly enjoying the luxury, while Iwaizumi closed his eyes and basked in the proximity.

When both Iwaizumi and Oikawa were clean, the entire bathroom was foggy with heat, and Oikawa felt like his fingers were going to fall off from how pruned they were because of the length of time they had spent sitting in the hot water, he nudged Iwaizumi gently.

It was nice, being close to him, being _naked_ around him, and still getting to just touch and enjoy the feeling of Iwaizumi’s hands without anything else.

“We should get out before we fall asleep in here,” he laughed lightly.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed, getting up and letting some of the water from his front drip over Oikawa’s back. The way he failed miserably at hiding his amused snort was all the indication Oikawa needed that the action had been entirely on purpose.

“ _Iwa-chan_!” Oikawa scolded, but the reproach was weak, and when Iwaizumi swooped down to pull him up so he could press a kiss to his lips so deep that he felt his knees go weak, Oikawa forgot why he was even annoyed in the first place.

“Can we have milk bread for breakfast again?” he asked, feeling very refreshed, after he had dried off and was dressed in a pair of grey shorts and a blue t-shirt.

“Sure, but you have to eat something else as well,” Iwaizumi replied, leading Oikawa down the circular, wooden stairs.

Oikawa had cooed when he first saw them and proceeded to run up and down the spiralling staircase enough times to make himself dizzy like a five-year old. Iwaizumi was just grateful that he didn’t fall and break something. Now _that_ would have been a terrible start to their time together.

“But why? Obasan’s milk bread is _so good_ ,” Oikawa clutched his chest for extra emphasis. “If I didn’t love you, I think I’d fall in love with it instead,” he continued, closing his eyes and letting out a deep, dramatic sigh.

“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment,” replied Iwaizumi’s mother from the kitchen island where she was perched with a mug of coffee and a half-filled plate of breakfast. Oikawa flushed when her smiling face came into view as they entered the kitchen.

“Okaasan,” Iwaizumi greeted. “I thought you were already at work. It’s almost 9:30 am,” he frowned, moving to set the table.

“Oh good morning, Hajime, how nice it is to see you and want to have breakfast with you. I’m well this morning, thank you for asking,” she rolled her eyes.

“Hello obasan,” Oikawa waved. He kissed her on the cheek and she returned the gesture, beaming when they pulled back. “Sorry I missed you last night. We fell asleep kind of early, exhaustion from the train ride and all,” Oikawa chuckled.

“Likely story,” she laughed. “Did you make good use of the empty house?”

“ _Okaasan_ ,” Iwaizumi groaned, coming back and dragging Oikawa as far away from her as possible, as if the distance was going to stop his mother from tormenting them both.

She ignored him, turning her attention back to Oikawa. “Don’t let Hajime ruin your nice skin,” she chuckled, nodding her head in the direction of Oikawa’s neck.

“Can you stop?” Iwaizumi asked, dragging Oikawa further away from the kitchen island where his mother was sitting on a bar stool and towards the kitchen table where he gently nudged at Oikawa’s shoulder until he sat down.

Oikawa’s face was impossibly red, one hand coming up to cover his neck. He should have put makeup on or something, but how was he supposed to know that Iwaizumi’s mother was still in the house? Iwaizumi had insisted she left for work at 6:30 am every morning, but obviously something was different today.

Oikawa's eyes widened marginally at the thought that she might have heard them when they were taking a bath together. It was a blessing in disguise that they didn’t do anything _more_ than that, but the idea that she was right downstairs while Iwaizumi and Oikawa were laughing and giggling away in the bathtub upstairs was more than just a little embarrassing.

“You never let me have any fun,” she tutted, moving to join them at the table. “With you gone this year, I’ve been a little lonely,” she sighed. The words hadn’t been meant to be depressing, but it still made Iwaizumi look sheepish and Oikawa’s flush increase.

“You can hang out with us as much as you want,” Oikawa insisted. “And we can share stories about Iwa-chan. I have tons of new embarrassing things he’s done for you to add to your collection,” he nodded. Iwaizumi kicked him under the table and Oikawa shot him a dirty look because that actually _hurt_.

Iwaizumi didn’t look apologetic, which Oikawa supposed he deserved, but he’d never admit it aloud.

“You’re sweet,” she laughed, moving a hand through Oikawa’s hair affectionately. “But I’m sure you have things planned, and I do have to go to work eventually, so I won’t intrude. I just wanted to greet you properly since I’ll more than likely be home late again. There’s some money on the counter so buy whatever you’d like for lunch and dinner,” she smiled, taking the left over piece of milk bread off her plate on her way out.

Oikawa beamed at the compliment, and nodded his head seriously like he was following orders, which Iwaizumi was quick to notice. He didn’t hold back his snort once his mother had left with the promise to cook them dinner at some point during Oikawa’s stay here.

“You’re such a suck up,” Iwaizumi chuckled, scooping out rice into a bowl for Oikawa.

“No I’m not,” Oikawa denied.

“ _You can hang out with us as much as you want_ ,” Iwaizumi repeated, pitching his voice high in an attempt to sound whiny, which was _nothing_ like how Oikawa sounded.

His voice may not have been as deep and gruff as Iwaizumi’s was, but it definitely wasn’t high either. He glared at his boyfriend, punching him hard in the arm, which ended up hurting him more than it hurt Iwaizumi, but the look of shock on Iwaizumi’s face was totally worth it.

“You’re so mean to me, Hajime!” he pouted, dragging out the syllables in Iwaizumi’s given name in a voice that was far too sultry for the setting. Oikawa got his desire effect though when Iwaizumi gulped and his eyes turned dark. He moved his hand over Oikawa’s thigh, running his calloused palm over the skin that was peaking out from beneath his shorts but Oikawa was quick to push his hand away.

“Nu-uh,” he shook his head. “Mean boyfriends don’t get to touch,” he said smugly, watching the way Iwaizumi’s face dropped.

He let out a frustrated groan. “Fine, how may I make it up to you?”

“Hmm,” Oikawa tucked his chin between his thumb and forefinger, as if he was thinking the question over seriously. “Let me decide what we do today!”

“That’s it? Done,” Iwaizumi said easily.

Oikawa smiled mischievously, and Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes suspiciously, realizing that maybe Oikawa’s request wasn’t as innocent as it had sounded. The way Oikawa kept beaming at him, _too happily_ , just confirmed his suspicions.

* * *

When Oikawa had asked to be able to decide what they could do for the rest of the day, this certainly wasn’t what Iwaizumi had been expecting. At first, Iwaizumi thought that maybe he had gotten off easy because Oikawa said he wanted to explore the neighbourhood. So Iwaizumi had taken Oikawa down to his old high school, where some of the volleyball club members were practicing.

They ended up joining them, and of course Oikawa was popular amongst the club members right away, which was nice, because it gave Iwaizumi a chance to talk with some of his kouhai and catch up with them while Oikawa was busy teaching others his killer serve.

It was kind of scary how focused he got as soon as his feet touched the volleyball court. Iwaizumi wished that he got to see Oikawa play in a real game, which just brought up bad memories for his boyfriend, so Iwaizumi never said a thing and kept those ‘what if’ scenarios to himself. He was content with being able to just see Oikawa’s face light up and his eyes shine with determination when the ball was in his hands.

It was also really fucking hot how powerful his serve was. Oikawa liked to point out Iwaizumi's muscle from lifting weights, but Oikawa’s arm strength was surprisingly strong too. It turned him on too much to stare for too long since the last thing he wanted was to have a situation in front of his former kouhai. Now _that_ would have been awkward.

They ended up grabbing fried chicken and onigiri from the conbini on their way back from the school, both in need of another shower after playing volleyball, but then Oikawa noticed the grocery store and dragged Iwaizumi in the direction of it instead.

He was so easily distracted, but it was just dinner that Oikawa wanted to cook. With his mum out late most nights, Iwaizumi was used to frozen dinners or takeout, not that he really minded, but the thought of cooking with Oikawa was oddly _sweet_ , and he found himself agreeing to it as they shopped for ingredients.

He didn’t know what they’d make, but Oikawa was dropping food items into the cart like no tomorrow, and Iwaizumi didn’t have any reason to stop him, so they ended up walking home with too many grocery bags and a lot of complaining from Oikawa about the fact that Iwaizumi’s house was at the very end of an uphill street.

Still, the day was relatively _normal_ , which put Iwaizumi on edge. If the way Oikawa had been looking at him during breakfast was any indication, things weren’t going to stay normal for very long.

Oikawa showered first, so by the time Iwaizumi was done and had changed into a clean pair of clothes, Oikawa was already in the kitchen setting ingredients aside and searching the pantry for sauces to cook with.

“What do you want to make?” Iwaizumi asked, looking through the ingredients Oikawa had set out on the kitchen island.

“Nikujaga,” Oikawa answered brightly.

“Traditional? Alright,” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Do you have a recipe?”

“Right here,” Oikawa answered, showing Iwaizumi his phone screen where a recipe for nikujaga had been pulled up. Iwaizumi squinted at the tiny screen, eyes immediately landing on the time it would take to cook the meal.

“I swear you picked the hardest thing on purpose. Meat is so hard to get right.”

“It’s okay, we can play a game to pass the time! And you can make agedashi tofu along the way as well. That’ll cut down the wait time,” he grinned.

“So what exactly are _you_ going to do?”

“Make rice,” Oikawa flashed him a peace sign. He put the phone down on the counter and tossed Iwaizumi a purple, daisy-printed apron before wearing a blue and white striped one himself. Iwaizumi caught the garment and regarded it with wary eyes, but gave in because what the heck, it was kind of cute he supposed.

“So basically when you said ‘Let’s cook together, Iwa-chan’ what you meant was ‘You cook while I watch,’” Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows knowingly.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Oikawa laughed, not even bothering to try and hide his plot.

“Fine, you can be my assistant or something,” Iwaizumi agreed. “Pass me the pot.”

“Ooh, Iwa-chan is getting into his chef mode, this is exciting!” Oikawa said impressively, turning around to hand Iwaizumi the pot to cook the peas in. Oikawa rested his elbow on the island and placed his head in his palm, watching Iwaizumi cook away.

The only sound for a while was that of running water and the gas stove flickering beneath the pot as the peas boiled. Then Iwaizumi cleared his throat and asked, “So what’s this game you wanted to play to pass the time?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Oikawa grinned, coming around to wrap his arms around Iwaizumi’s waist. “You know, you’d make a great housewife,” Oikawa said offhandedly, pressing a quick kiss to the back of Iwaizumi’s neck that flushed red at the comment.

“I’d like to remind you that I’m holding a knife,” Iwaizumi deadpanned.

“And I’d like to remind _you_ that you love me,” Oikawa quipped.

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” Iwaizumi sighed. From his place behind Iwaizumi, Oikawa couldn’t quite see the smile on his boyfriend’s face, but he could definitely hear it in his voice.

“Never,” Oikawa whispered, squeezing his arms tighter around Iwaizumi’s waist to prove his point.

“Come on, your game. It can’t be good so let’s get this over with,” Iwaizumi chuckled, placing the chopped carrots aside and moving on to the potatoes.

“Okay, I ask you questions about me, you answer them, and if you get it right, you can ask me a question about yourself,” he grinned.

“Aren’t we a little late for the ‘get to know me’ games?” Iwaizumi frowned.

“It’s not a _get to know me_ game,” Oikawa shook his head. His nose brushed across Iwaizumi’s exposed shoulders – Oikawa sure did love the fact that Iwaizumi liked wearing tank tops in the summer heat; it gave him more access to skin and a wicked view of his arms.

“That’s what it sounds like,” Iwaizumi retorted.

“It’s a _how well does my boyfriend know me_ game,” Oikawa corrected. “And you haven’t asked me what happens if you get a question wrong,” he smiled into Iwaizumi’s skin.

Iwaizumi swallowed, suddenly feeling like he was being set up for failure. He knew Oikawa wouldn’t do anything to make him feel bad on _purpose_ , but his boyfriend sure did like teasing Iwaizumi – which was _fine_ because Iwaizumi liked teasing him too, but somehow, he had a feeling that this game could lead to potential misunderstandings.

“What happens if one of us gets a question wrong?” Oikawa unlatched himself from Iwaizumi’s back and tugged him around so that they were facing one another – Iwaizumi’s back against the kitchen counter and Oikawa’s against the island in the centre of the room.

“You have to remove one article of clothing but the apron comes off _last_ ,” Oikawa smiled, deviously sweet.

Iwaizumi already hated this. He could see the way Oikawa’s eyes flashed competitively – the kind of glint he had only seen when he was talking about Ushijima or playing volleyball. Losing wasn’t something Oikawa did often, but Iwaizumi would be damned if he made this easy on his boyfriend.

Besides, this was a fair enough game. He was confident that he knew Oikawa well. It had been almost five months since they met one another and he had faith in his memory.

“So basically strip poker but way less cool,” Iwaizumi offered, trying to hide his smile by biting his cheeks.

“ _Less cool_?” Oikawa guffawed, the offense obvious in his tone. “We’ll see what you have to say about it when we’re done,” Oikawa huffed indignantly.

“Alright, you first,” Iwaizumi agreed, smiling at Oikawa’s miffed expression.

“Fine,” Oikawa agreed. “Favourite food?”

“Milk bread,” Iwaizumi answered instantly. “I thought you’d go with something harder,” he laughed as Oikawa crinkled his nose – almost as if he was _upset_ that Iwaizumi knew him if it interfered with him winning.

“Don’t count yourself lucky yet. I’m just trying to ease you into this,” he countered.

“Sure,” Iwaizumi agreed, turning around to finish chopping the onions and move on to the meat so that it could cook. When Oikawa didn’t protest, he asked, “My turn, right?”

“Yeah,” Oikawa agreed, moving in to encircle Iwaizumi’s waist once more.

“Favourite movie?”

“King-Kong vs. Godzilla. Too easy, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa smiled confidently. He slipped his hands between the empty spaces the apron created on his side and trailed his fingers over Iwaizumi’s grey tank top. Iwaizumi felt warmth pool into his stomach, and he had to remind himself to focus on slicing the meat instead of Oikawa’s wandering hands.

“Least favourite class?”

“Statistics,” Iwaizumi laughed, remembering Oikawa’s various complaints about how _easy_ that course was and how it was a waste of his time.

“You’re pretty good,” Oikawa chuckled.

“What? Did you expect me to fail?” Iwaizumi challenged. Oikawa shook his head, rubbing his cheek over Iwaizumi’s neck. “Alright, what city was I born in?”

“Itsukushima,” Oikawa answered proudly.

Iwaizumi stalled the knife, putting it down next to the cutting board. He turned his head as much as he could to look Oikawa in the eyes while the other man continued to keep his hold on him. “How the fuck did you know that?”

“I have my _resources_ , Iwa-chan!” Oikawa smiled smugly. His resources being Iwaizumi’s mum, but his boyfriend didn’t need to know that. They had only ever spoken to one another alone, that time they went shopping, but she had plenty to tell Oikawa about Iwaizumi, which Oikawa was sure was going to come in handy right then.

“You stalker,” Iwaizumi accused lightly.

“That was _one time_!” Oikawa defended, face heating up at past memories. “Now I won’t go easy on you anymore,” he huffed. Not that he had ever planned on going _easy_ on Iwaizumi. Oikawa just needed to make him feel comfortable before he whipped out the hard questions.

“Sorry, sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized, not sounding very sorry at all.

“My favourite piece of clothing?” Oikawa asked, ignoring the apology.

Iwaizumi stalled, the laughter dying on his lips. He thought the question over, placing the sliced pork in a pot to cook while he did so. Once he turned the stove on and watched the oil heat up, he turned to face Oikawa who had moved away from him and was smiling confidently.

“Your blue cashmere sweater?” he asked hesitantly.

“ _Wrong_ ,” Oikawa sing-songed. “It’s my _beige_ cashmere sweater,” he grinned.

“Oh fuck you, I was so close, come on, Tooru,” he complained.

“Nope,” Oikawa closed his eyes and shook his head, ignoring the way his heart sped up at hearing the familiarity with which Iwaizumi said his name. “Take off your shorts,” he pointed down to Iwaizumi’s legs.

“You’re not going to make me cook without pants on, are you?”

“You need to cough up the payment – don’t be so stingy, _Hajime_.”

“ _Fine_ ,” Iwaizumi huffed. He moved aside to wash his hands before undoing the button of his shorts and sliding them down. He felt oddly embarrassed with the way Oikawa was watching him. It wasn’t like Iwaizumi had never undressed in front of him before but something about the way Oikawa looked so _gleeful_ had Iwaizumi feeling humble.

“I don’t know what you’re complaining about. There isn’t even really a difference,” Oikawa offered unhelpfully.

“The apron is open from the back,” Iwaizumi deadpanned. “ _Of course_ there’s a difference,” he rolled his eyes, moving to wash his hands again after he placed his shorts on the bar stool. “Quit staring,” he chided when Oikawa remained in his spot at the island that gave him a good vantage point to gaze at Iwaizumi’s thighs and ass.

“I’m _admiring_ ,” he corrected.

“Whatever,” Iwaizumi muttered, trying to change the topic. “So do you get to ask another question or is it my turn now that I’ve taken the punishment?”

“Your turn,” Oikawa chirped happily.

“The name of my first teacher?” he asked, knowing that it was dirty to give Oikawa a hard question but his boyfriend didn’t play fair so neither would Iwaizumi.

“Teshima- _sensei_ ,” Oikawa grinned. “The one who you called okaasan in front of the whole class and instead of crying like a normal five-year old, you dumped paint on the kids who made fun of you,” he recited.

“Fuck, my mum’s been telling you stories, hasn’t she?” Iwaizumi cursed.

“I can’t reveal my sources,” Oikawa teased.

“Bullshit. It’s my mum. Or was it Makki and Mattsun? Next time I see them I’m going to kill them,” he seethed.

“Are you really that upset about this?” Oikawa asked seriously. “We can stop if you’d like,” he asked, lips twisting in worry.

Iwaizumi shook his head immediately. “No, of course not.” He turned around pressed a kiss to Oikawa’s cheek. “I guess your competitiveness has rubbed off on me.”

“Don’t lie, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa chuckled. “You’ve always been competitive.” Iwaizumi shrugged noncommittally and Oikawa deemed that it was his turn to start asking questions again. They continued like that while the pork and vegetables cooked and by the time Iwaizumi was ready to add the seasoning, Oikawa had lost zero clothes, and Iwaizumi was only wearing his boxers and the apron.

“The name of my first pet?”

“Godzilla, because it was a furry spider, which are _monsters_ by the way. The first sport I ever tried?”

“Soccer. My most prized possession?”

“Your car, duh. First crush?”

“That ugly kid on your middle school volleyball team.”

“He wasn’t _ugly_! Rude! Tell me his name or you’re losing your boxers next.”

“Satoru?” Iwaizumi asked hopefully. “Instrument I wish I could play?” he asked when Oikawa didn’t immediately jump on Iwaizumi to discard his boxers.

“Guitar. Dream job?”

Their pace had gotten significantly faster, and Iwaizumi hated to admit it, but it was kind of fun. Ignoring the fact that he was cooking in boxers, and an apron alone, it wasn’t so bad. He always did like talking with Oikawa and this was weirdly domestic but it made him happy.

“Business owner?”

“Nope.”

“Then what?” Iwaizumi frowned.

“Astronaut!”

“Oh my god, are you _five_?”

“Hey, don’t be mean, Iwa-chan. Now take off your boxers,” Oikawa grinned.

“Are you serious?” Iwaizumi flatlined.

“Dead serious.” Iwaizumi groaned but complied. Oikawa soaked the tofu while he undid his apron and slid his boxers off before tying it back on. He figured he could at least be helpful, which Iwaizumi appreciated, because with him almost completely naked and Oikawa still fully dressed, he was starting to lose his patience.

He almost dropped the pot he was trying to take off the stove when Oikawa came up behind him and slapped his bare ass lovingly.

“Fuck,” Iwaizumi cursed.

“Your turn, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said innocently, moving to wash his hands immediately afterwards.

“My favourite thing about you?” Iwaizumi asked, smirking when Oikawa’s smile fell into a serious expression.

“That’s not fair,” Oikawa frowned.

“Why? Because you know you’ll get it wrong?”

Oikawa scoffed. “Confident are we? Okay, let’s see… hands?” he asked hopefully.

“Nope,” Iwaizumi grinned at finally having caught Oikawa in his own game. He supposed he shouldn’t have been so confident considering he was practically naked, a thin apron separating him from fucking Oikawa into the counter, but seeing Oikawa’s thoughtful face was enough to brighten his mood.

“Wait, don’t tell me! Back?”

“Nope.”

“Face?”

“You’re beautiful, but nope,” he shook his head, revelling in the way Oikawa’s face flushed a deep red.

“I swear if you say it’s my dick I’m going to punch you,” Oikawa glared.

“It’s not, but keep going. See if you can guess,” Iwaizumi smirked.

“Eyes?”

“No.”

“Legs?”

“Nice try.”

“Ugh, fine _tell me_ ,” Oikawa whined in defeat.

“Your shitty personality,” Iwaizumi smiled, moving in to kiss Oikawa before he could say something and ruin the moment.

“That is ridiculously sappy,” Oikawa complained when they pulled back, but his face was pulled up into a stupidly sunny grin and he looked like the happiest person on Earth.

“And now, you got what? Six things wrong? You shorts, your boxers, your socks, your t-shirt, your apron and oh look, I still have one thing left to take off you so I guess now, you _owe me_ ,” Iwaizumi grinned, loving the way Oikawa blushed. Iwaizumi took a few steps towards him, and Oikawa moved back but was met with the edge of the island counter digging into his back

“Hey, you can’t just make up rules like that!” Oikawa stuttered, back bent and arms spread out on the flat surface behind him.

“Oh yeah? Who says I can’t? You kept guessing, which wasn’t part of the rules, so I think it’s only fair that I get to make something up as well,” he hummed, weaving his hands behind Oikawa’s back and undoing the tie of his apron.

Iwaizumi tugged at the material, kissing Oikawa hard when his boyfriend yelped in protest. Eventually, Oikawa’s arms moved from trying to push Iwaizumi away to wrapping around his shoulders and sliding down the length of his arms. He squeezed around Iwaizumi’s biceps and pushed his lips back in an attempt to fight Iwaizumi for control of the lead.

Iwaizumi opened his mouth and let Oikawa’s tongue sweep against his tongue as he busied his hands with the button of his shorts, sliding them down his legs easily.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said breathily, moving away to take in their situation. “Dinner’s ready,” he reminded.

“I know,” Iwaizumi smirked, tugging at Oikawa's shirt until it was discarded on the floor as well.

“We should eat,” Oikawa amended, but his hands never left Iwaizumi’s arms; he was playing with the muscle, sliding his palms up and down the smooth skin, tracing the veins with the pads of his fingers.

“You sure about that?” Iwaizumi challenged, pressing his palm to Oikawa’s erection that was becoming more and more evident.

“Y– yeah,” he managed to say, biting his lip to prevent a moan from spilling out instead.

“Alright,” Iwaizumi shrugged, dipping his hands into the waistband of Oikawa’s boxers.

“What are you doing?” Oikawa questioned when Iwaizumi dropped down to his knees.

“Eating,” Iwaizumi replied easily, placing his hands on Oikawa’s hips, motioning for him to turn around. “You out,” he finished. He grinned at the way Oikawa’s flush spread down his lithe back, and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but slide up a little so he could trace the pattern with his tongue. Oikawa shivered beneath him, which only spurred him on.

“This so wasn’t what I meant,” Oikawa huffed, but he had stretched his arms across the counter and folded half his body over the grey and white marble.

“Hmm, doesn’t seem like you’re complaining to me,” Iwaizumi remarked slyly. Oikawa only huffed again, which made Iwaizumi chuckle, but he soon brought his attention back to his task.

He teased the ring of muscle around Oikawa’s hole with his tongue, circling it slowly until Oikawa muffled a moan above him. At the sound of Oikawa whimpering, he lapped at his entrance, slowly gliding his tongue across it until Oikawa’s choked whimpers were uncensored sobs.

“Fuck, Iwa-chan, are we actually doing this?” Oikawa cried out. Iwaizumi responded by dipping his tongue into Oikawa’s entrance. He pulled back when he felt the twitching muscle tighten around him, and eased it open further with one finger.

“Shit, Tooru, you need to stop clenching,” Iwaizumi groaned. They had done this once last night, which wasn’t all that recently but it also wasn’t that long ago, and the feeling of Oikawa’s muscles tightening around his fingers was driving him nuts, as the thought of how that would feel against his cock instead took over.

“Because I’m fucking _paranoid_ ,” Oikawa shot back over his shoulder.

Iwaizumi frowned, but moved back, taking his fingers out of Oikawa as he got up and took a few steps back. Despite Oikawa’s fears about being heard or worse, _seen_ , he pouted at he loss of Iwaizumi’s touch against him. 

His face lit up though, when Iwaizumi didn't go farther than to reach the cabinet across from the island and pulled out a bottle of olive oil, spreading it across his fingers over the marble countertop for easy cleaning.

“Come on, no one’s home. No one’s going to _be_ home,” he corrected, dropping back down to his knees.

“That’s what – ah – you said – _fuck_ – you said this morning and your mum was _oh my god_ ,” Oikawa cried out, his sentence forgotten as Iwaizumi pressed his tongue back in along with one slicked finger that was once again rubbing inside of Oikawa, stretching him out.

Oikawa’s fist thumped against the marble countertop when Iwaizumi pushed a second finger in, using his thumb and pinky to hold open the entrance while his middle and index finger worked to stretch him open. He dipped his tongue back in and Oikawa swore he saw stars because it was unfair that Iwaizumi was so good at this – so good at making Oikawa lose control – so good at making Oikawa forget everything except for _him_.

“Iwa – _Hajime_ ,” he choked out. “Please,” he cried, hands curling into fists when Iwaizumi removed his fingers completely and _sucked_ against his hole unabashedly.

“What do you want?” Iwaizumi asked gently.

“You – want _you_ – _need_ _you_ ,” Oikawa cried, voice muffled by his arm that he was resting his cheek against.

Iwaizumi nodded and lifted himself back up off his knees. He untied the apron constricting him, letting it pool on the ground by his feet. He kicked it away before moving to his shorts. He was sure he had a condom somewhere in his wallet, but Oikawa reached out grabbed his wrist before he could dig through it.

The look in his eyes couldn’t be described as anything but pure lust. His irises swirled with a kind of passion Iwaizumi had never seen before, and when Oikawa opened his mouth, words coming out barely above a whisper to say, “Like this, Hajime,” Iwaizumi couldn’t do anything but comply.

“Fuck,” he whispered, running an oiled hand over his cock. Oikawa was so hot. Both inside and out, and Iwaizumi was reminded of that fact once again as he lined himself up with Oikawa’s entrance, stretched Oikawa’s back so that his spine was extended and visible, before he pushed himself in inch by inch.

“Fuck me,” Oikawa said as soon as Iwaizumi was seated to the hilt. He felt so fucking _good_ , clenching and unclenching around Iwaizumi.

Despite Oikawa’s demands, Iwaizumi noticed his back was still spasming – they hadn’t used as much preparation as they usually did, but Oikawa was so enticing it was hard to forget anything but how good it felt to be inside him. This time though, he calmed himself, waiting until Oikawa relaxed around him.

“Shh, baby, take your time,” Iwaizumi soothed, leaning over to press his chest flush against Oikawa’s back. He kissed his shoulder, hands coming up to trace along Oikawa’s arms until he nudged one palm open from its fisted position and intertwined their fingers. Oikawa was mumbling something incoherently below him and Iwaizumi had to strain his ear to listen.

“I’m okay, I promise,” Oikawa whispered. He groaned and pushed back against Iwaizumi, back arched beautifully, letting him slide in impossibly deeper.

That was all the invitation Iwaizumi needed to pull his hips back before slamming back in with a powerful thrust that had Oikawa flattening against the surface of the counter and Iwaizumi stuttering in his wake.

It didn’t take him long to find Oikawa’s prostate, and once he did, he didn’t have the patience to hold back from abusing it. He let the head of his cock grind over the organ with every thrust and soon enough, Oikawa’s yells of _‘fuck just like that’_ and _‘harder, faster’_ were nothing more than tiny sobs of _‘yes yes yes.’_

“Oikawa, what do you–”

“ _Inside_ ,” Oikawa breathed out, tightening his hold on Iwaizumi’s hand that was still clasped between his, almost painfully so.

The culmination of Oikawa’s breathy whispers of encouragement and his ass sucking him in had Iwaizumi spilling into him with little difficulty. He groaned, biting down against Oikawa’s shoulder when he felt his boyfriend tighten around him as Iwaizumi fucked him, riding out his orgasm inside.

He wrapped a hand around Oikawa’s erection, hoping to help him find his release as well, but was shocked when he felt a warm, wet, and slowly softening cock between his palms instead.

“Did you?”

“Yes. Holy shit, _yes_ ,” Oikawa cried, face flushed between embarrassment and ecstasy.

They stayed like that for a few moments, Oikawa catching his breath and Iwaizumi trying his best not to shift while he was still inside him. He pressed gentle kisses to Oikawa’s upper back and shoulders, reminding Oikawa how of how fucking _good_ he felt, which only served to increase his blush.

He pulled out when Oikawa’s legs stopped wobbling, kneeling down to place a few chaste kisses to the inside of his thighs. He used his discarded tank top to wipe away the excess cum, _his cum_ , dribbling down the length of Oikawa’s impossible long, pale legs. The thought almost had him hard again until he heard Oikawa cough above him.

“We should clean up before obasan gets back tonight,” he blushed jerking his head down to the kitchen island that was far from sanitary anymore.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed. “You wanna shower?” Oikawa nodded. “Three showers in one day,” Iwaizumi mused, gathering the dirty clothes and leading Oikawa up the stairs.

“And whose fault is that?” Oikawa remarked drily.

“Shut up,” Iwaizumi mumbled embarrassedly.

Oikawa let out a loud chuckle at Iwaizumi’s humbled expression. He always found it endearing how unreserved Iwaizumi was during sex, but as soon as they were out of their intimate bubble and back into reality, he turned into an embarrassing mess. It was so damn cute.

“Need help?” Iwaizumi asked, pointing between Oikawa’s legs. This was the first time they had sex without a condom, and while they both had been tested, it was still a new experience.

“It’s okay, I can manage… _this time_ ,” Oikawa smiled, turning into the bathroom before Iwaizumi had the chance to react to the statement.

He spluttered for a few seconds, glad that Oikawa wasn’t there to see him so dumbfounded before he regained his composure and knocked on the bathroom door. “I’ll clean up in the guest bathroom then set the table – come down whenever you’re ready!” he shouted over the sound of running water.

He heard a distinct, “Okay, Iwa-chan!” yelled back towards him and he shook his head, trying to hold back the large smile that threatened to overtake his face.

So maybe Oikawa’s plans for spending the day together weren’t so bad after all. He’d definitely have to clean up the kitchen and find a way to get rid of the smell of sex from the room lest his mother found out, but hey, if they got away with, he wouldn’t mind doing it again as long as Oikawa was up for it.

Frankly though, Iwaizumi wouldn’t mind doing anything, as long as Oikawa was there with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i saw this super pretty [fanart](http://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/post/160104179375/lazy-afternooner-quiet-moments) and couldn't stop thinking about how Iwaizumi's house would look like this 
> 
> also, the taking your phone into the bathroom is from experience. does anyone else take it while they're taking a bath/shower?? or am i just weird lol 
> 
> next time:  
> \- quality time with Iwaizumi's mother  
> \- date night at the marina (and maybe some serious conversations)
> 
> please leave me a comment/kudos, they make me feel so much better! i have 5 million things due next week, but i didn't want to leave you all hanging so close to the end, so i appreciate all your thoughts, if you can spare them please! <3


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok guys, you know what my absolute favourite scene from this whole fic is? check out this [**fucking amazing fanart**](http://snowshu.tumblr.com/post/166930189207/small-fanart-for-an-iwaoi-fic-ive-been-really) by [@snowshu](http://snowshu.tumblr.com/) and u'll know what i'm talking about. i feel so blessed to have received this, and i really hope you guys check it out, like and reblog the fanart to support elly!! <3

The Otaru canal was probably the most famous tourist attraction that the city had to offer. Otaru wasn’t nearly as big or as populated as Sapporo, but in Iwaizumi’s unbiased (or maybe a _little_ biased) opinion, it was a hundred times nicer. 

Having grown up in the tourist city, Iwaizumi was used to seeing many different faces around downtown, but he had never paid much attention to _why_ they were there. Call him oblivious, or maybe dense, but Iwaizumi had never had a reason to take anyone down to the canal, which was supposedly one of the most romantic spots in Japan. At least, he didn’t have a reason until Oikawa came along.

Sure, he had gone on dates before, and sure, he had _enjoyed_ them, but something about Oikawa was unchartered, and made Iwaizumi feel more at ease than with anyone else he had ever been with. He would always do his best to do something nice – take his partner out for dinner at a nice restaurant, a movie, maybe a walk through the park or on the beach, but those were as romantic as the adventures got. 

But then he met Oikawa, and although his boyfriend never insisted on Iwaizumi doing _romantic_ things for him, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but be attracted to that side, anyway. Oikawa deserved it, and hell, if they were together, then Iwaizumi would do everything he could to make sure Oikawa was happy. 

He had been down past the canal to the marina a few times with Hanamaki and Matsukawa, considering Hanamaki’s father was a fisherman, but that had never been a _date_. Iwaizumi would have never thought of the canal as a date spot, because during the day, it was filled with tourists crowded onto small boats, gliding along the length of the water as they snapped pictures of the Victorian-style houses lining the edge. 

And at night, Iwaizumi didn’t have a reason to be by the water, preferring to spend his time inside bars and food stalls, or even weaving his way through he crowded Otaru bazaars, which always smelled like home to him. 

[ ** _group chat:_ _three musketeers_** ] 

 **Makki** >> I can’t believe you’ve been living here ur whole life and u didn’t know that the canal was a fucking date spot 

 **Mattsun** >> what a disgrace to our beautiful city 

 **Iwaizumi** >> Fuck you guys. Can you just tell me what the plan is? 

 **Mattsun** >> so now we’re planning your date as well?

 **Iwaizumi** >> No, I mean, ugh forget it. This isn’t worth the headache 

 **Makki** >> Oikawa isn’t worth it?? *gasp* I can’t wait to tell him w(°ｏ°)w 

 **Iwaizumi** >> Don’t you fucking dare, you *know* that’s not what I meant 

 **Makki** >> bringing out the asterisks aite aite it’s getting serious up in here 

 **Iwaizumi** >> Fuck you. 

 **Mattsun** >> (ignoring that you put a period after that insult…) since we’re the best friends you could ask for this is what you’re gonna do. take him to Sankaku so you can re-enact your first date 

 **Iwaizumi** >> The market smells like fish. There’s no way I’m taking him there 

 **Mattsun** >> ok but listen before you start snapping

 **Makki** >> trust. Oikawa tells us things he doesn’t tell u 

 **Iwaizumi** >> Like the fact that his ideal date is a fish market? 

 **Makki** >> no like how he loves going to markets bc they remind him of u plus it’s really cute. ur such a grump besides he’s Japanese. if he didn’t like fish I’d tell u to dump him 

 **Iwaizumi** >> (Ignoring your rude comment) Keep going 

 **Mattsun** >> fresh sushi 

 **Iwaizumi** >> That’s it? 

 **Makki** >> how tf is that NOT appealing to u?? 

 **Mattsun** >> fine if that doesn’t convince you. you know how there are a couple of stores that’ll cook you whatever you want as long as you buy the meat from them? you should do that. it’s sure to make Oikawa swoon 

 **Iwaizumi** >> Ok, I guess that’s not a terrible idea… 

 **Makki** >> yeah so after u tour the market and woo him with ur charm, walk along the canal and idk go into some stores, wait it out until the streetlights come on and the water lights up 

 **Mattsun** >> then take him over the bridge connecting the canal to the marina where Makki’s dad is so graciously letting you borrow his boat 

 **Iwaizumi** >> Wait, actually?

 **Makki** >> yes I’m a god what else is new? (^_<)〜☆ 

 **Mattsun** >> then bam, you have access to the port. start off at the dock and slowly make your way out into the marina 

 **Makki** >> so much better than just going up and down one measly canal dontcha think? oh btw there’s a card in the storage compartment that u’ll need to access the port but u remember how to do that right? 

 **Iwaizumi** >> Yeah, thanks man. And thank your dad for me too 

 **Makki** >> buy me ten boxes of creampuffs and we’ll call it even

I **waizumi** >> Fine, what about you, Mattsun?

 **Mattsun** >> i’ll get back to you on the payment 

 **Iwaizumi** >> Sure, I guess 

 **Makki** >> ohhhh so complacent, he must be happy. quick Mattsun, ask him for his Rolex!

 **Iwaizumi** >> Watches are off limits you fuckers. But thanks, I’ll talk to you later 

 **Mattsun** >> bye *Iwa-chan*

 **Makki** >> c ya Iwa-chan 

Iwaizumi muted the chat and plugged his phone back into charge, rolling his eyes at his friends’ ridiculous comments. Still, he had to admin that they were being awfully helpful. It made him realize just how much they liked Oikawa too, and the thought that they were getting along so well was comforting. 

He instinctively looked up from his phone at the thought of his boyfriend. Oikawa was outside in the garden with his mum, which Iwaizumi should have been worried about because when the two of them were alone together, Iwaizumi was the one who was likely to come out of the situation incredibly embarrassed, but he wasn’t worried as much as he was contemplative. 

Through the floor to ceiling glass window that separated the backyard from the dining room, Iwaizumi could see how happy Oikawa was, waving his long arms around in every direction as he enthusiastically related something to Iwaizumi’s mother. It was the weekend, and she had the day off from work, so they had decided to spend the day with her. She usually brought work home, but Iwaizumi appreciated that she was taking the time out of her busy schedule to spend time with Oikawa. Even if his mother and Oikawa liked to team up against him, they got along and that was more important to him than a little bit of embarrassment.

Iwaizumi had been afraid Oikawa would find it boring, but he seemed far more into it than Iwaizumi had given him credit for. Apparently, he liked gardening, which came as a surprise, although at that point, Iwaizumi supposed he shouldn’t have been amazed by Oikawa’s constant revelations. 

He looked completely at ease wearing a light grey baseball cap – hair pulled back over his scalp so his bangs were covered and only the tufts of hair at the base of his neck were peaking out – a pair of grey shorts and a blue t-shirt. His hands were covered in black gardening gloves, and his left knee had dirt on it from having knelt down on the wet soil not too long ago. 

His eyes were shining, and his cheeks were pink – maybe from excitement as much as from being sunburnt. His pale skin was so sensitive and although Iwaizumi had personally lathered sunscreen all over his face that morning, ignoring Oikawa’s whines of protest about how sticky it felt and how Iwaizumi was being too rough with his face, the sun had still managed to damage it. 

Iwaizumi uncrossed his arms, realizing that he had been staring at Oikawa chatting idly for a little too long, and immediately flushed at the thought. He was _allowed_ to stare, allowed to _admire_ , but it still embarrassed him to know that Oikawa could capture his attention with the most mundane of things. 

He grabbed a tray of iced tea off the dining room table, which he had been sent in to do in the first place. Before sliding open the screen door and stepping out into the garden, Iwaizumi also seized the bottle of sunscreen he had left out for Oikawa, just in case. 

“Iwa-chan, what took you so long?” Oikawa asked, head turning at the sound of the screen door sliding open. 

“Sorry, I got distracted answering a few messages from Makki and Mattsun,” he apologized. 

“Are they coming over?” his mum asked. 

“No, maybe tomorrow though,” he shook his head, stepping out of his house slippers and into the shoes he had left discarded at the foot of the back door. 

He nearly lost his balance with the tray in his hand but he managed to keep the glasses steady. The bottle of sunscreen however, slipped from his free hand as he grabbed the grey brick wall lining the back of the house, and clattered against the stone path.

“Here,” he handed the tray to his mum who placed it on the patio table. She smiled at him, hiding the smirk behind a well-practiced poker face. 

Iwaizumi bent down and picked up the fallen bottle of sunscreen before walking over to Oikawa and holding it out in front of him. 

“What’s this?” Oikawa frowned. His dislike for sunscreen was unbelievable. 

“You already burned your cheeks a little. You need to reapply,” Iwaizumi chided.

Oikawa jut his lips out petulantly, and if his mum wasn’t standing right there, Iwaizumi would have leaned in and kissed the look off his face. Who gave Oikawa the right to look so fucking adorable, even when he was pouting? 

“I don’t like sunscreen,” he frowned, twisting his lips down further.

“You’ll get wrinkles if you don’t take care of your skin,” Iwaizumi chided. Not that he cared. Oikawa was beautiful no matter what; his boyfriend happened to have the same train of thought, smirking carefully at Iwaizumi upon hearing the comment.

“Iwa-chan will love me either way, right?” he asked, eyelashes fluttering low, casting an alluring shadow across his cheeks.

Iwaizumi wanted to kiss him so badly. He was vaguely aware of his mother still standing not too far from him, dressed in a long, blue maxi dress that gave her the aura of innocence but that didn’t match the amused smile on her face.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said roughly. “That’s not the point,” he reminded. 

Oikawa chuckled quietly, pleased with the response before his face fell down contemplatively again. “My hands are dirty,” he said eventually, thinking he had gotten out of the task.

“Alright, then just stand there. My hands are clean,” Iwaizumi said easily. 

Before Oikawa could protest, Iwaizumi had uncapped the bottle and poured the cream out in his palms. He knew that he wasn’t going to get Oikawa to put the sunscreen on willingly, and just like that morning, he would have to take matters into his own hands. Not that he minded. 

He gently massaged Oikawa’s face, being careful of the spots where his cheeks were a little dry from having been out in the sun for so long. Oikawa closed his eyes and shot Iwaizumi a dirty look, doing his best to make it difficult for Iwaizumi to stretch his skin and apply the lotion. 

His mum chuckled from behind them, finally breaking her silent, amused expression to voice her opinion. “Hajime is so sweet,” she sighed, making Iwaizumi blush at the compliment. “You know, I used to do this to his father. I wonder if that’s where he picked it up from,” she continued, not so casually. 

Oikawa cracked his eye open at that. He stared at Iwaizumi with an unreadable, stoic expression for a few seconds before his face melted into something akin to adoration. He didn’t comment, which Iwaizumi was grateful for because he wasn’t sure his face could handle any more heat – the sun shining above them was enough – but he did ease up his pout and was more complacent as Iwaizumi’s fingers spread across his face. 

When he was done with Oikawa’s face, he ran his hands along the length of his exposed arms then down his legs, all the way to his ankles. He brushed the dirt off his left knee with the back of his hand, and in a moment of weakness, pressed a kiss to his right, that was covered in the white brace. 

Iwaizumi was grateful he was wearing it more often now. Oikawa claimed that it made him look ugly, but Iwaizumi didn’t care. Something like that could never make him look ugly – in fact, it made him look more attractive in Iwaizumi’s opinion. His strength, his determination, his _resolve_ , all of it was attractive and Iwaizumi would fight Oikawa tooth and nail until he believed that too. 

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa scolded, quickly moving back and almost tripping over the hole that he had dug behind him for the pink azaleas. Iwaizumi was back up on his feet in an instant, reaching out to catch Oikawa by the wrist before he fell back. “That wasn’t funny,” Oikawa chided, face pulled down into a frown once he had steadied himself. 

“It wasn’t meant to be,” Iwaizumi responded seriously. 

Oikawa huffed but didn’t protest. He hid his eyes under his baseball cap, but considering he was taller than Iwaizumi was by a few centimetres, it was impossible for Iwaizumi to miss the way his eyes widened affectionately. 

“Do you want me to turn away, or would you prefer I leave?” His mum’s teasing voice brought Iwaizumi back from whatever bubble he had closed himself and Oikawa off in. 

“Sorry,” he apologized sheepishly. 

“See, this is what I was telling you about,” Oikawa chuckled, turning his attention back to Iwaizumi’s mum. “Iwa-chan is so possessive, he always monopolizes my attention,” Oikawa teased, but his face was dusted pink in that way he only got when he was truly embarrassed or humbled. 

“Quit spreading lies about me, Trashykawa,” Iwaizumi grumbled, turning away to find his own pair of gardening gloves. 

“ _Trashykawa_?” his mum laughed, holding up a hand to her mouth to hide her amusement. “That’s the least endearing name I’ve ever heard, and yet, I can’t help but feel like that’s exactly what it was meant to be.” 

“It’s not cute at all,” Oikawa agreed, smiling through the lie. 

“I don’t know why he thinks you’ll want to stay with him if he keeps that up,” she added thoughtfully. The way her eyes sparkled with mischief was enough to give away the teasing in her voice. Still, it didn’t stop Iwaizumi from grumbling in annoyance. 

“Okaasan, did you actually need our help, or are you just trying to embarrass me?” Iwaizumi asked stiffly, ducking his head down to hide his own flush. 

Unfortunately for him, the flush had spread down his neck and chest and was currently covering his shoulders that were exposed under his grey tank top. Iwaizumi contemplated shifting his own black baseball cap that was turned backwards the right way, but that would have been too obvious, so he fiddled with the bags of soil instead, hoping that no one would comment on his obvious embarrassment. 

“Fine, fine, I’ll go back to supervising,” she conceded. Iwaizumi knew that she wasn’t going to keep the embarrassing comments to herself. 

Although he could find himself caring about it when Oikawa tapped his shoulders after a few moments, pointing to the Japanese maple that still needed to be planted. “I can’t carry that by myself,” he said in explanation. “And don’t worry, I like everything you call me because I know it’s said with love,” he smiled sunnily. 

Iwaizumi's eyes widened in response, but he smiled and allowed Oikawa to pull him to the tree. Sure, he was embarrassed with his mum constantly making teasing remarks, but even doing ordinary tasks like _gardening_ with Oikawa was pretty worth it. Especially when he knew Oikawa liked being with him just as much. 

* * *

“Are we going on a date?” Oikawa asked brightly that night.

After spending most of the day outside, Iwaizumi was exhausted, but in a good way: the way he only got after a good workout and sex. 

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed, slipping on a maroon long-sleeved shirt over his dark wash jeans. It was probably going to be hot in the marketplace with all the people that were there, but once they were out in the marina, he was sure it would get cooler. 

“What should I wear?” Oikawa asked contemplatively. “Will it be cold?” he asked, pointing to Iwaizumi’s long-sleeved shirt. His shirt wasn’t that thick, but Oikawa also got cold very easily. He frowned moving towards Oikawa’s bags before throwing him a pair of black jeans and a dark blue sweater that wasn’t too thick or too thin. 

“Oh, is Iwa-chan picking my clothes out now?” Oikawa asked teasingly, removing his clothing so he could change into the ones Iwaizumi had handed to him. 

“Why do you have to make everything sound provocative?” 

“Because it’s too easy to embarrass you,” Oikawa smiled.

“Yeah? Well I know a few good ways to embarrass _you_ ,” Iwaizumi said lowly, coming over and placing his hand against Oikawa’s clothed ass, palming the flesh lightly. He was satisfied when Oikawa let out a little squeak at the action and his ears turned red. “No more embarrassing me,” Iwaizumi threatened half-heartedly. 

Oikawa nodded weakly, but the small smile on his face never left. They said goodbye to Iwaizumi’s mum who wished them a good time. Iwaizumi felt bad for leaving her on her day off, but it was the only day Hanamaki’s dad’s boat was available. His mum seemed to have sensed the guilt, and she assured him when he came back in to grab his wallet that he forgot because he was a nervous dumbass, that she was happy he was spending time with Oikawa and that she really liked him. That one simple sentence was enough to ease all of his worries for the rest of the night. 

The market _definitely_ smelled like fish, but Oikawa didn’t complain. He tugged Iwaizumi through the narrow stalls, insisting that they try all the samples that were on display. It was crowded, and within moments, Iwaizumi felt sweat bead down his neck, but Oikawa’s face was shining and he kept trying to feed Iwaizumi, which was annoying as much as it was cute, so it was easy to forget his discomfort.

“Iwa-chan, open your mouth wide,” Oikawa said for what was the hundredth time that evening. He lifted a piece of salmon sashimi between his chopsticks and held it out for Iwaizumi to try. 

“I’m going to get mercury poisoning by the end of the night,” Iwaizumi complained, but he widened his mouth and accepted the food anyway. 

“Good, right?” Oikawa asked, ignoring Iwaizumi’s weak negativity.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed. “But I’m used to this. Otaru’s a fishing port so fresh seafood isn’t uncommon here,” he reminded with a chuckle. 

“Don’t take the fun out of it,” Oikawa chided half-heartedly. 

“Sorry,” Iwaizumi laughed in apology. Oikawa forgot his complaints when the next time he picked up his chopsticks to feed Iwaizumi, Iwaizumi didn’t need to be prompted to open his mouth and accept the offering.

“I bet Kuroo would die to live here,” Oikawa laughed. Iwaizumi nodded his head in agreement, remembering the man’s borderline obsession with grilled mackerel pike. “Oh, let’s eat mackerel next. I’m going to take a picture and send it to him,” he smiled mischievously. 

“You don’t even _like_ mackerel,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. 

“Fine, then you eat it while I take a picture. It’s so much fun annoying Kuroo,” he hummed. Iwaizumi sighed, but didn’t fight it. One moment Oikawa could be so mature, and the next moment he would revert right back to being a five-year old. It was cute either way, and it was driving Iwaizumi mad how someone could be so adorable all the damn time.

Being surrounded by tourists made Iwaizumi a bit more relaxed about being out in public. Otaru wasn’t a huge city and his parents knew a lot of important people, so he could have easily been recognized, but with Oikawa’s charming smile and enthusiasm, Iwaizumi was pulled into his orbit almost effortlessly. 

He let Oikawa hold his hand shyly between his own, even tugging him closer, which wasn’t such a big deal in the crowded market, but it still made Oikawa beam at him so wholeheartedly, that if they weren’t in public, Iwaizumi would have kissed him on the mouth right there. 

Tokyo was different – it was a lot more progressive and filled with young people, who were far more open-minded than some of Japan’s older cities and towns, but somehow, Iwaizumi found himself comfortable being out with Oikawa where anyone could see and recognize him. He kind of wanted people to see, because he never considered himself as anything but lucky to have someone as wonderful as Oikawa Tooru to call his boyfriend. 

“What are you thinking about?” Oikawa asked once they had eaten dinner – an assortment of grilled seafood – and had escaped the busy confines of the crowded Sankaku market. 

“You,” Iwaizumi answered honestly.

“What about me?” Oikawa pressed. 

“How much I love you,” he tossed Oikawa a lopsided grin, which Oikawa received with a bright one of his own.

“Do you really?” he asked bashfully. 

“Of course, you idiot. I’ve only been saying it for a month now,” he rolled his eyes, knocking his shoulder into Oikawa’s lightly. 

He couldn’t understand why Oikawa of all people was so self-conscious. _Of course_ Iwaizumi loved him. He didn’t take it personally, and he certainly didn’t think it was Oikawa’s way of telling him that he didn’t exactly show it, because the way Oikawa’s face would light up shyly every time Iwaizumi confirmed it told him that Oikawa was just looking for reassurance.

“Can I ask you for something then?” Oikawa asked, biting his lower lip thoughtfully.

Iwaizumi turned his head to look at Oikawa’s face at the question, but Oikawa was still looking ahead of him. The sky had turned dark in the time that they were in the fish market, and the cobbled stone lining the perimeter of the canal was reflecting the orange glow of the streetlamps brightening the path. 

Oikawa tilted his head slightly, as they walked, the lights dancing along the planes of his face and reflecting off his brown hair; it made Iwaizumi want to reach out and touch him, but he settled with squeezing Oikawa’s hand in his own tightly, urging him on to ask what he wanted. “Of course.” 

“It was Obon a few weeks ago,” he chuckled hesitantly. 

“It was,” Iwaizumi agreed, feeling the weight of those words settle in. It had never been his favourite time of the year – this year made worse by his father’s passing.

Oikawa was silent after his initial statement, which made Iwaizumi nervous. He felt his palms start to sweat and he was certain Oikawa could feel it, but if he was bothered by it, he didn’t say anything. They continued walking along the path and Iwaizumi thought that the conversation was never going to take off – that he just wasn’t going to find out what Oikawa wanted to tell him, at least not that night, when he heard Oikawa mumble something briefly. 

“What?” he asked, because Oikawa’s voice had been too quiet to register. 

“Can I – I mean, can we, uhm, can we visit together?” Oikawa asked quietly. “I know it’s really personal, and if it’s a family shrine then I guess some of your relatives might not want me there but I figured since it wasn’t Obon anymore I could uhm, I could visit with you and hopefully I wouldn’t be overstepping,” he said quickly, turning his cheek to face the water instead of Iwaizumi’s stare. 

Iwaizumi didn’t think it was possible for him to love Oikawa more than he already did, but the way his heart ached at the question made him realize that there would _always_ be a way for Oikawa to make Iwaizumi fall in love with him over and over again. 

“Forget it, that was dumb,” Oikawa said before Iwaizumi could answer, misunderstanding his silence for rejection. 

“Hey,” Iwaizumi chided, swallowing the lump in his throat. He tugged at Oikawa’s hand to stop him in his tracks while he used his left hand to cup his cheek, turning Oikawa’s face towards his own.

“Are you _crying_?” Oikawa asked, startled by his reaction. Iwaizumi didn’t realize that a few tears had slipped down his face in the meantime, and he immediately felt guilty at the look of horror on Oikawa’s face. Oikawa probably thought that it was _his_ fault, but before Iwaizumi could dispel his worries, Oikawa had reached forward with his own free hand and wiped Iwaizumi’s cheeks. 

“Sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized, voice coming out hoarse against the swelling in his throat. He felt someone bump his shoulder as they walked past him. They must have uttered an apology but in that moment, the only thing Iwaizumi could focus on was the way Oikawa was looking at him – all twitching fingers and biting lips – and nothing else really mattered. 

“I’m sorry, forget I asked,” Oikawa whispered, hand moving down Iwaizumi’s cheek to wipe it clean of the tears. He looked like _he_ was about to cry, so Iwaizumi released Oikawa’s hand and brought his palm up to cup his other cheek; with both hands, Iwaizumi tugged Oikawa down, not caring if anyone else could see and kissed him deeply, until Oikawa’s lips relaxed against his own and he kissed Iwaizumi back. 

“ _Of course_ we can go to my family shrine together. You want to visit my dad’s grave, yeah?” Iwaizumi asked knowingly once they had parted. 

“Yeah,” Oikawa nodded.

“Come here,” Iwaizumi tugged at Oikawa until he buried his head against Iwaizumi’s neck and wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi’s waist. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” he whispered honestly into Oikawa’s ear. 

Everyone always said that Otaru looked the best in the winter time, when the streets were covered in six inches of snow, and people’s faces were pink and cheery from the nipping wind and festive atmosphere, but in that moment, Iwaizumi didn’t think there was ever a time that the city looked as nice, as it did with Oikawa in it. 

Oikawa didn’t reply to Iwaizumi’s comment, only fisted his hand in the material of Iwaizumi’s shirt harder, until finally Iwaizumi pulled away, remembering that they were on a time limit before the gates to the marina closed off. 

“Thank you,” Oikawa responded seriously. 

Iwaizumi wanted to tell him there was nothing he had thank him for. He knew Oikawa wasn’t going to listen so instead, he said, “Come on, the date’s not over yet,” and pulled Oikawa’s hand, increasing their pace as he tugged them to the dock. 

“Where are we going?” Oikawa asked, when Iwaizumi pulled him over the bridge and down a flight of wobbly stone steps that led them to the shore of the canal. 

“Get in,” Iwaizumi grinned, fishing a pair of keys and motioning for Oikawa to step into the boat after him.

“Oh my god, are you serious?” Oikawa yelled. “Wait you have a boat? You have a boating license?” he questioned. “Where are we going? When Makki said something about a marina, I thought we’d do just one of those tourist boat rides along the canal,” he frowned. 

“That’s boring,” Iwaizumi laughed. “You’re dealing with a local here. We’re going out there,” he pointed past the gates. 

“That can’t be safe. You’re not going to just take me out into the water to dump my body there, are you?” he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. 

“Come on, we’ve got until 10 pm before we have to get back. The coastguards monitor the perimeter anyway, so we won’t be allowed past that. I promise you’ll be safe,” Iwaizumi said sincerely, stepping into the boat and reaching a hand out for Oikawa to grab on. 

He steadied the slowly bouncing fishing boat with one foot firmly placed on the deck while Oikawa reached for his hand and jumped on. He let out an embarrassed cry when the boat rocked, and held on to Iwaizumi tightly in an attempt not to fall into the water. 

“I hate this already,” Oikawa mumbled as Iwaizumi untied the boat from the dock. 

“Don’t judge it yet, I promise this is fun,” he insisted, turning the engine on. “You just have to get used to it.” Oikawa made a strangled noise of comprehension but he didn’t push his hesitancy because he _was_ willing to try it out, even if he didn’t like boats or being on the water.

The canal was closed off, but the marina was still open for the last few boats of the day that were still lingering out in the ocean. Iwaizumi flashed the gatekeeper the insurance card and permit. The man looked unimpressed that they were leaving so late at night, but when the permissions all checked out, he had no choice but to let them through. 

“Is this your boat?” Oikawa asked, once his nerves had calmed down a little.

“Nah, it’s Makki’s dad’s. He goes out during the day and leaves it docked overnight. He’s usually home late, but I guess Makki must have done something to convince him to let us borrow it for one night,” Iwaizumi smiled. “And to answer your previous question, I _do_ have a boating license. Summer breaks are boring as hell – obviously not this one though,” he corrected when Oikawa scoffed. 

“So Makki’s dad would sometimes let Mattsun and I go out with them since Makki was already roped into helping his dad out during his free time. His dad figured that if we were going to keep joining him, we might as well know what we were doing so he taught us. It’s actually not that difficult,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “Come here, I’ll show you,” he waved Oikawa over to the wheel. 

“How do you know where you’re going?” Oikawa asked curiously, the nervousness starting to wear off with Iwaizumi's comforting arm wrapped around his waist. 

“There are lights around the boat. See, you can see them lighting up the water,” he pointed over the edge. From the stand where the wheel was, it was easier to look out over the edge. The fishing boat was kind of old school, but it had been upgraded to have as many new features as it could manage. 

“You don’t get seasick, do you?” Iwaizumi frowned, at Oikawa’s lack of enthusiasm. 

“It’s not that,” he denied. 

“Then what? You can’t swim?” Iwaizumi pressed. 

“ _I can_ ,” Oikawa said, maybe a little too quickly to be convincing. 

Iwaizumi hesitated before reaching out for one of the lifejackets. He tossed it to Oikawa in the hopes that it would make him feel better, but it only served to worsen his mood. 

“What?” Iwaizumi frowned. He realized he should have asked Oikawa whether he even liked boating before dragging him out here but Hanamaki and Matsukawa had insisted it was a good date idea, and well, here they were with Oikawa looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. 

It was safe to say that Iwaizumi felt like a dick. 

“I’m not a _child_ ,” Oikawa huffed, turning around and giving the lifejacket back to Iwaizumi. “I don’t need one of these. Besides, we won’t drown, right?” he asked almost hesitantly. 

Oh, so he felt miffed. Iwaizumi wiped the smile that was threatening to peak out from his face. He nudged Oikawa so that he was standing in front of him again before Iwaizumi reached out and took Oikawa’s hands in his. He slowly lifted them to place them on the wheel; Iwaizumi was doing most of the work, but he hoped the proximity would help to ease some of Oikawa’s worries. 

“I promise I won’t let you drown,” Iwaizumi whispered against his shoulder. 

“Thanks, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa responded sincerely. “I’m sorry for being snappy, I guess I was just embarrassed,” he admitted sheepishly. 

“About not being able to swim?” 

“Yeah,” Oikawa agreed, nodding his head. His hair tickled the side of Iwaizumi’s cheek and he let out an involuntary shudder at the contact. 

“Well we’re going to fix that. Can’t have people making fun of you,” Iwaizumi teased, pressing a kiss to Oikawa’s flushed cheek. 

“But nowhere public, alright? I don’t want people to see,” he huffed, clearly self-conscious.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got the perfect place,” he agreed. 

Oikawa seemed to mellow out at that. He agreed to Iwaizumi’s proposal, and the longer they stayed out on the water, the more relaxed he became. When they finally settled out near the edge of the marina, with the lighthouse from the island slowly shedding light across the dark bay, Oikawa was as tranquil as the ocean water. 

The tides were low that night, which Iwaizumi was thankful for – the last thing he needed was for Oikawa to have more to worry about. He turned the engine off and let the small gust of wind rock them back and forth. Inside the cabin, Iwaizumi found a couple of blankets and a lantern. He laid the blankets out on the wooden flooring and placed the lit lantern down next to it. 

“I guess this is nice,” Oikawa mumbled, curling into Iwaizumi’s lap. Oikawa’s hands were absentmindedly tracing patterns across Iwaizumi’s outstretched thighs, while Iwaizumi’s own hand was playing with Oikawa’s hair. It was so soft and wavy, and easy to curl around his fingers. 

“You guess?” Iwaizumi chuckled.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not the worst date we’ve been on,” Oikawa corrected, huffing hot air against Iwaizumi’s stomach. 

“Well, what’s the best date we’ve had then?” Iwaizumi smiled lazily. 

“The first time we went to Yamanakako,” Oikawa answered easily. 

“Really?” Iwaizumi asked. Although, that _had_ been a very good date. “Why’s that?”

“Because it’s the first time I’ve ever felt that I could really love someone in the way that I love you,” he answered honestly. Iwaizumi looked down, and amidst the hair partially covering Oikawa’s face, Iwaizumi could see how rosy his cheeks were. “What about you?” he asked, changing the subject. “What’s your favourite date been?” 

Iwaizumi thought about it for a few moments. His favourite? He wasn’t sure he really _had_ one, but the way Oikawa was looking up at him expectantly made him think harder about it. 

“When we went hiking up Mount Izumigatake a few weeks back,” he said finally. 

“Why that one?” Oikawa frowned. 

“Because you tripped over a large rock and fell.” 

“What the hell? That’s so _mean_ ,” Oikawa complained. 

“Hey, listen, you didn’t let me finish,” Iwaizumi insisted. When Oikawa shut his mouth and glared up at him silently, Iwaizumi continued. “Your legs and arms were all scraped, and you looked kind of like a mess and I could hear how you were trying not to cry against my back when I offered to carry you back to the start of the trail,” he pushed a few strands out of Oikawa’s eyes so he could look at him properly. 

“And when we got back to the car, you told me how you were afraid it was going to affect your leg again because it really hurt. That’s the first time you didn’t hold anything back – you shared your pain without any prompting, and it made me realize that even though you act tough around your friends and family, there are always things you hold back, but if you’ll let me I’ll always be there to share those burdens with you.”

Oikawa was silent for a few moments until his face turned up into a shy smile. “Wow, you always have to one-up me, don’t you Iwa-chan?” he chuckled breathily. 

“I’m not trying to,” Iwaizumi insisted.

“That’s fine,” Oikawa waved off. “As long as you only say those things to me,” he grinned. 

“Needy,” Iwaizumi chuckled. 

“ _Possessive_ ,” Oikawa shot back. 

“Obviously, have you seen you?” Iwaizumi agreed, laughing lightly when he was rewarded with an embarrassed whine from Oikawa. 

“Give me your hand,” Oikawa asked, reaching out for Iwaizumi’s right hand anyway. “The lighthouse is kind of ruining it, but there’s the Big Dipper,” Oikawa held Iwaizumi’s finger up to the sky. “And if you keep following it up, there’s the North Star,” he smiled. 

“You already showed me that one,” Iwaizumi chuckled. 

“Not here though,” Oikawa huffed. “Don’t ruin it, I’m trying to be romantic, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa chided. He perked up though at remembering a new constellation. “Okay, I’ve got something new for you. Look up there, that’s Vega, who you might know better as Orihime,” Oikawa grinned. 

“What, really?” Iwaizumi looked up to where Oikawa held his finger. 

“Yup,” Oikawa agreed. “And that one over there,” he moved his hand down and to the right, “is Altair or Hikoboshi.” 

“I hate that story,” Iwaizumi admitted. 

“Why? It’s supposed to be romantic,” Oikawa sighed. 

“It’s stupid, because this dude is so worried about his daughter because she works really hard so he sets her up with a guy who she falls in love with, but then when they _do_ get married and are happy, he decides to separate them. Why? Because she stopped weaving clothes for him? And Hikoboshi couldn’t control his cows? So what? What if they wanted to change their professions. What if they just wanted to have a good _honeymoon_?” 

Oikawa let out a loud laugh that broke Iwaizumi out of his rant. “What?” 

“I didn’t know you felt so strongly about it,” Oikawa chuckled. “But who knows, maybe it’s not even true,” he sighed. “But if it is, can you imagine that they still love one another enough to wait a whole year to be together again? That’s dedication, and you have to admit that it’s _romantic_ , no matter how much you hate the story behind their separation,” Oikawa goaded. 

“I guess, whatever, it’s dumb to separate people who are in love,” he repeated stubbornly. 

“Huh, you’d hate Tanabata in Miyagi. We’re pretty much known for the festival,” Oikawa chuckled, bringing their arms down and resting their clasped hands on his chest. 

Iwaizumi could feel Oikawa’s heartbeat run through his hands, up his arms, and settle into his own chest. It took a few seconds, but he eventually found his own heart beating in symphony with Oikawa’s as well. 

“I don’t hate the festival. I just hate the _story_ ,” Iwaizumi corrected. 

“Do you want to spend the next one together then?” Oikawa asked quietly. 

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed, feeling relieved that Oikawa had even asked. It was kind of a couple’s holiday, which was why Iwaizumi had never paid much attention to it in his teenage years. With Oikawa though, he figured he might actually enjoy himself and maybe even get caught up in the story. 

“Good, because I want to spend it with you too,” Oikawa confirmed, squeezing Iwaizumi’s hand gently. 

It was easy to fall into a peaceful silence with the wind gently rocking the boat and Oikawa’s warm hand holding onto his tightly. For a moment, Iwaizumi forgot that they were out in the middle of the marina together, and they stayed like that until the sound of the lighthouse reminded Iwaizumi that they needed to head back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as a former lifeguard i have to say this: pls wear a lifejacket if u can't swim!!
> 
> i've got something to ask/confirm with you guys so if you could read this bit + respond to me (either here in the comments or send me a msg on tumblr, i'd really appreciate the feedback!!). so, since this fic is coming to an end in ~2 weeks, i was wondering what people would think about me making it into an epub format? so that it can be read like a book with chapters and an index, and compatible with your phone's book reader app? i can provide you a download link, and it's totally free, so it'll just be another way to read the fic. personally, i like reading things on my phone, and being able to "flip" through pages or have a book formatting is appealing to me lol. 
> 
> it would be designed like a legitimate book with page numbers, chapters, good formatting (courtesy of my friend [@elleh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elleh/) whose work is awesome btw and i suggest u read it)! i also really like reading all my stuff in the same place lol, without having to rely on the internet. idk, it was just a thought lol, but let me know if this would be a good idea or not!
> 
> next time:  
> \- the inevitable shrine visit  
> \- last chapter before the epilogue *sad face*
> 
> please leave me a comment/kudos if you liked this chapter! ♡ seriously, i put a lot of effort into this one and i’d appreciate the feedback... i see so many of you read the chapters but don’t comment :(
> 
> [tumblr](http://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/) || [twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa)


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so u may have noticed that there's something new about the summary of this fic: i have now added a "series" section (that is subject to changing its title) so yes, even though this fic is coming to an end, there will be a few one-shots that i have planned here and there ^^ so all's not over yet! i would love it if u could subscribe to the series bc i may or may not have bigger things planned too but that's all i can say for now lol (we'll see what my schedule allows)
> 
> as for this chapter: i know the next one is the _last_ but it's really just an epilogue so please think of this as the "last" chapter bc it really does bring about an end to the fic and ties back some things i mentioned way back when and just didn't address. i hope u know i cried like 10 times while editing this and so i apologize for any mistakes bc i couldn't really see through my tears ;;

Visiting graves was never a happy occasion. _Death_ was never a happy occasion. While Oikawa was aware of this fact, he didn’t have much experience with it so he hadn’t put too much thought behind how sombre visiting Iwaizumi’s father’s grave would be. He had been nervous all day, but the real implications of being at Iwaizumi's family shrine didn’t hit Oikawa until they were _there._ Once he took in the sight of the wooden buckets filled with water, smelled the air that was flowing with incense, hands clasped carefully around a bouquet of assorted flowers, the grim realization hit him with all the sudden force of a typhoon.

The shrine itself was beautiful. The stones lay in neat rows, separated from one another with enough space between them to not be overcrowded. It was clean, well groomed, and the structure of the old Japanese-style house that had been re-constructed to look like a temple in the front made it look so picturesque.

It was also quiet and empty, which Oikawa appreciated because having to deal with other people asking him why he was there would have been awkward. He was sure his nervousness was showing but surprisingly Iwaizumi didn’t say a thing to him – he didn’t try to calm Oikawa down, or even tell him off for being so fidgety. Instead, Iwaizumi was quiet that whole morning, which only served to put Oikawa further on edge.

The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable, but it still made him feel _uneasy_ , and the taciturnity did nothing to calm Oikawa’s nerves. From the moment they woke up, to the moment they stepped out of the car, Oikawa kept thinking about whether Iwaizumi really wanted Oikawa to be there. Sure, he hadn’t shown any signs of hesitancy when Oikawa first asked, but the way he was acting now made Oikawa feel self-conscious.

But he didn’t regret _asking_ Iwaizumi if they could go at all, even though his nerves were starting to betray him. If he would never be able to meet Iwaizumi’s father properly, the least he could do was pay his respects while he had the chance. Oikawa wasn’t sure when he would be able to return to Hokkaido, so this was the kind of opportunity he didn’t want to miss while he was here.

For all his silence, Iwaizumi was oddly complacent, which was the only thing that calmed Oikawa down even a smidge. They held hands the entire car ride to the family shrine, Iwaizumi squeezing Oikawa’s fingers between his palms the whole time, either out of habit or a way to search some comfort of his own. They were dressed in black kimonos, adhering to the customs that the shrine had been built under. Oikawa had to borrow one from Iwaizumi, which Iwaizumi’s mother was happy to fix for both of them.

Oikawa had asked her if she wanted to come with them, but she insisted that they go alone, and that she could go some other time. Later while Oikawa was waiting for Iwaizumi to finish getting ready, his mother told Oikawa that she visited Sapporo every weekend to clean her husband’s grave and plant new flowers, even in the dead of winter. And when she was away for business, she went every day leading up to the date of her departure to make up for the lost time.

The gesture was too sweet and entirely heartbreaking; Oikawa found the dull ache in his heart spread through his entire body at the thought.

It had only been eight months since Iwaizumi’s father had passed, which wasn’t all that long, so Oikawa expected Iwaizumi to cry on more than one occasion, but he was sombre the entire time.

Oikawa on the other hand, couldn’t have said the same thing for himself, which was entirely embarrassing because he didn’t even _know_ the man, but still, the idea that he would _never_ actually be able to meet him either was enough to cause his eyes to well up in unshakeable tears. Iwaizumi didn’t say anything every time Oikawa wiped at his face quickly, only pressed a kiss to his cheek and helped him clean the tears.

The whole time they were at the grave, praying while the incense burned on the grey-speckled stones around them, Oikawa could feel Iwaizumi’s hurt emanating from him. It made Oikawa’s heart ache because he couldn’t imagine the loss, not when Iwaizumi and his father had been so close and he found himself thinking that life really _was_ unfair.

When they were done paying their respects together, Oikawa was prepared to return to the car to let Iwaizumi have his own time alone, but he was stopped before he could turn back, Iwaizumi's hand wrapping around his wrist and tugging him back gently.

“What is it?” Oikawa frowned.

“Don’t leave yet,” Iwaizumi said in response, voice so painfully neutral that Oikawa couldn’t tell if he was being scolded or not. “I mean, you came all this way – you can – if you want – you can talk to him first,” he said hesitantly.

Oikawa’s confusion immediately melted into a look of adoration. He smiled shakily, and nodded his head in understanding before he shuffled back over and knelt down in front of the grave. Iwaizumi stepped back, looking ready to walk away but Oikawa turned back and gave him a more solid smile, which made him stop in his tracks.

He looked around hesitantly – he had visited his grandparents’ graves before but this was different. He didn’t really _know_ Iwaizumi's father, so talking to him felt strange. Still, Iwaizumi had reached out to him and the thought was enough to make him want to try. He _did_ want to try, because meeting Iwaizumi's father in some form or another would always be important to him.

“Hello Iwaizumi-san,” he said awkwardly. He had to hold back the urge to turn around and seek confirmation from his boyfriend. Instead, he stared ahead at the stone, chewing his bottom lip nervously as he wracked his brain for something else to say.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t meet properly. My name’s Oikawa Tooru but you can call me Tooru if you like. I’m sure Iwa-chan’s already told you all the boring stuff about me – it’s okay if I call him that right? Obasan says you’re very nice, and that Iwa-chan is just like you,” he hesitated, eyes turning blurry with unshed tears.

“I forgot to say this earlier, but I’m dating your son,” he paused. “I bet you already knew that though,” he corrected shyly.

“He moved to Tokyo this year and I know it’s because of you, and I couldn’t be more upset of the circumstances but you wouldn’t believe how much better he’s made my life. He’s funny and intelligent, and the kindest person I know. I’m lucky to be able to say that I love him very much,” he continued, voice increasingly wobblier with every word.

Oikawa could feel the flush spread across his face – could _feel_ Iwaizumi's presence behind him, but in that moment, he couldn’t focus on anyone, _anything_ , except the gravestone in front of him.

“He always treats me well, and doesn’t hold back on calling me out when I’m being an idiot. He’s such a dork, but he gets along with everyone. My family really loves him too – my nephew already thinks of him as an uncle. I’m pretty sure he likes Iwa-chan better than me,” Oikawa smiled through his tears, remembering the way Takeru had hung off of Iwaizumi the entire time he had been in Sendai.

“Sometimes, he says really silly things, but I love how passionate he is about his studies. He tries to take me out on really romantic dates, he’s always looking out for me, whether it’s emotionally or physically and he cares more about me than I could ever ask anyone to do. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with all this kindness,” he admitted, hiccupping as the words became muffled.

“The only thing I _can_ do is promise you that I’ll do everything I possibly can do to make sure he’s as happy as he makes me every single day we spend together.”

He brought his hands up to his eyes, wiping away at the steady stream of tears that he couldn’t hold back anymore with the sleeve of his kimono. He couldn’t even bear to look at Iwaizumi, but he didn’t have to worry about the snot or the tears or the hiccups that escaped his mouth when he felt Iwaizumi's hand reach out and touch his shoulder, gently nudging him back up to his feet and turning him around before crushing him in a tight hug.

“I love you,” he whispered against Oikawa's ear, holding his head tightly against his chest. “I love you so much,” he said again, weaving his hand through Oikawa's hair, bringing his face back far enough that he could look at Oikawa when he said it.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said quietly. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, not knowing what exactly he was apologizing for, but the words made Iwaizumi tighten his hold, and Oikawa did the same, clutching the soft fabric of Iwaizumi's kimono between his hands tightly.

After that, Oikawa wasn’t sure how much time they spent just holding one another, until the tears passed and the sadness turned into a dull ache that was easier to push aside, even if it wasn’t easy to ignore.

Oikawa let Iwaizumi spend some time alone with his father, insisting that he was okay to wait in the car. It took another thirty minutes of him fidgeting quietly, wondering what exactly Iwaizumi was saying, how he was feeling, whether there was anything Oikawa could do to help him get through the day before Iwaizumi returned.

“We should do something quiet tonight,” Oikawa suggested on their drive back home.

Iwaizumi’s family’s shrine was in Sapporo, where his grandparents’ house used to be. After his grandmother died, no one lived in the home, and the family decided to keep the house as a monument.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed, voice thick.

Oikawa ran his thumb over the back of Iwaizumi’s hand, hoping to show some silent support. He wasn’t really sure if his presence or his touch was doing anything, but Iwaizumi didn’t pull away, so that was something.

“Obasan’s going to be home late, so maybe we can order in, and watch a movie,” Oikawa continued. It would be good to get his mind off of their morning. While visiting family graves was a widely followed custom, it didn’t make the journey any easier.

“Sure,” he nodded, face hard and expression unreadable.

Oikawa didn’t press him further until they got back to the house. They trudged upstairs to change out of their kimonos. While Oikawa’s back was turned, halfway through pulling on a clean t-shirt, Iwaizumi locked himself in the bathroom, which made Oikawa finally feel guilty about the whole thing.

“Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked, knocking against the bathroom door weakly. “Are you alright? Do you need something?”

He was met with silence on the other side, until he heard the sound of the tap water running. He was being ignored, which might have bothered him under any other circumstance but right now, he just felt a sense of despair for his boyfriend.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa called again, a little louder so that his voice could be heard over the running water. “Please let me see you. I’m sorry for asking if we could visit your father’s grave together. That was inconsiderate of me and I should have thought about how it would affect you. Please, open the door and let me make it up to you,” he cried a little desperately, not even caring about how he sounded at the moment.

Oikawa thought he was going to be ignored again, but then he heard the tap turn off and felt the shake of the wooden door he was leaning against. Iwaizumi opened it so quickly that Oikawa had to take a step back to prevent himself from falling forward.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Iwaizumi’s hoarse voice cut Oikawa off from thinking the worst.

“But–”

“Nothing,” Iwaizumi said firmly, moving past to grab a towel to wipe his wet face.

Oikawa didn’t know what he was supposed to do so he shuffled back into the room and watched Iwaizumi discard his wet shirt before getting into his bed. He left a spot open for Oikawa, and despite the fact that Oikawa wasn’t really sleepy, he was thankful for the invitation so he crawled into the bed right next to Iwaizumi, immediately reaching up to gently cup his face.

“I’m sorry,” Oikawa whispered, as Iwaizumi’s eyes trailed down his face.

“I told you not to apologize.”

“Yeah, but I made you sad,” Oikawa frowned.

“You’ve never made me sad,” Iwaizumi insisted, clutching Oikawa’s hand in his own. He brought Oikawa’s fingers up and kissed his knuckles gently. “You’ve never made me anything but _happy_ , and that’s what fucking sucked about today.”

“W– what?” Oikawa asked, startled by the shift in tone.

“I saw how gentle you were when you washed the gravestone, how carefully you removed the weeds and placed the new flowers around it. You even _cried_ for fuck’s sake, for someone you had never even met. You spoke to him like you had known him your entire life, you said all these kind things about me, which was so thoughtful of you,” he broke off, too overcome with emotion to finish the rest.

“Iwa-chan, I–”

Iwaizumi cut him off by leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to Oikawa’s lips. Oikawa only pulled apart when he felt something wet hit his face, and he realized that Iwaizumi was crying. It was strange that he didn’t shed a single tear at the shrine, even when Oikawa had been a blubbering mess. Now that they were alone though, he wasn’t holding back. Oikawa wanted to know what he was thinking so badly, but he didn’t press, because the last thing he wanted was for Iwaizumi to shut him out completely as a defense mechanism.

“You’re beautiful, and perfect, and more than I could have ever asked for, and I fucking _miss_ _him so much_ , especially when I saw you at the shrine today. He’d have really loved you too, and I couldn’t stop thinking about what that would be like,” he hiccupped.

Oikawa nodded, because there wasn’t anything he could say to that. How could he even begin to comprehend the kind of sadness Iwaizumi was feeling?

“It’s _not fair_ ,” he admitted weakly, clutching the front of Oikawa’s shirt and pulling him in close.

Oikawa felt his throat go dry, and his heart ache impossibly harder at the sight. He had seen Iwaizumi cry only a few days ago, but the tears had quickly been replaced by happiness, so the impact hadn’t lasted very long.

But now, seeing his boyfriend look so _broken_ was a sight that he wasn’t used to seeing. “I know, baby, I know,” he said softly, pulling Iwaizumi in closer, wrapping his arm around his waist tighter.

“I wish you could have met him,” Iwaizumi choked out into his shirt. The front of his chest was wet, but Oikawa didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to him was being there for Iwaizumi, like his boyfriend had been for him so many times before.

The fact that Iwaizumi's father had passed so recently was something that Oikawa was privy to, but before today that’s what it had always been: _just a fact_. It brought him some kind of relief that Iwaizumi was moving on, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder what that meant for _them_. Still, it wasn’t the time to be thinking those thoughts. Iwaizumi needed him and Oikawa would be damned if he let anything get in the way of that.

“Me too,” he admitted, pressing a kiss to the top of Iwaizumi’s head. “But the way obasan talks about him, I feel like I meet him every time I’m with you,” he smiled, rubbing Iwaizumi’s cheek with his thumb softly, wiping away the tears staining his face. “And I met him today. That’s something, right?” he reminded gently. “I hope you know that I meant everything I said back there,” he added.

Iwaizumi didn’t reply, only clutched Oikawa’s shirt tighter, pressed his face up to his chest even closer, and continued to choke sobs against him. Oikawa felt the vibrations run through his entire body, but he didn’t say anything else. He just held Iwaizumi tightly, running his hand across his face and through his hair to remind him that it was okay, that he wasn’t alone, and that he didn’t have to put up a front in Oikawa’s presence because he loved him either way.

Eventually, the sobs turned to weak sniffles, and those died down to a steady breathing. Oikawa hadn’t been feeling sleepy at all when he first climbed into bed with Iwaizumi but the emotional drain had taken a toll on him as well. He soon found himself drifting off, Iwaizumi pressed impossibly close to him, every part of their bodies as closely intertwined as possible.

* * *

When Oikawa woke up again, the late afternoon sun was peaking through the curtains in Iwaizumi’s room, casting shadows over the furniture, and lilting across Iwaizumi’s sleeping face.

During the time that they were asleep Iwaizumi hadn’t changed positions at all – he was still holding on to the front of Oikawa’s shirt, his face pressed into it as Oikawa’s hand splayed across his hip, connecting them together. For a few moments, Oikawa took in the peaceful silence in the room, the way the orange light made Iwaizumi’s face glow.

After a while though, Oikawa removed his legs that were tangled between Iwaizumi’s own and shifted back on the bed so he could take in the sight of Iwaizumi’s entire body. His face was still tearstained, and Oikawa couldn’t help but run his thumb along the length of his cheek, tracing the remains.

The sight made him smile sadly, but despite the streaks on Iwaizumi’s face, he had a small smile across his lips that made Oikawa feel like maybe he was feeling a little bit better. And if he wasn’t, at least he was dreaming about something that could make him forget that he had been sad in the first place.

Oikawa couldn’t imagine losing someone so close to him so early. He couldn’t understand the pain that Iwaizumi was going through, but he could still empathize. He wanted to _know_ what it was like though – because Iwaizumi was important to him, and Oikawa really did love him, which was why he had asked permission to visit Iwaizumi's father grave in the first place.

It was his way of meeting the man, even if was spiritually rather than physically.

When it looked like Iwaizumi wasn’t going to wake up any time soon, Oikawa shifted off the bed and shuffled out of the room. He changed into a clean shirt and discarded the dirty one into the laundry basket first, careful to close the door quietly on his way out.

Oikawa had realized that it was late afternoon by the way the sun had dipped low, but he didn’t realize it was already 5 pm until he checked his phone. What Oikawa thought was going to be maybe an hour or two at most nap turned into a _four-hour_ nap. He had either been more tired than he believed himself to be or just emotionally exhausted.

It was likely the latter of the two options, and if Oikawa had been feeling that way, he couldn’t imagine how Iwaizumi felt. So, he let the other man sleep.

For a while, Oikawa sat out in the garden, admiring the array of plants. It was nice, and he was happy that he was able to make a lasting impact on it. The Japanese maple sapling was still very much that, small but sturdy and Oikawa found himself wishing that maybe he’d get to see what it looked like when it tall and strong. There were so many plants lining the back, and even a pond in the centre of the garden with water lilies and small koi swimming around.

Oikawa couldn’t imagine the kind of dedication it took to grow an area like this, but it was beautifully serene, and made him want to stay out there forever. But as the sun dipped lower, the wind started to pick up and the shady garden area was too cold for him so he returned back into the house.

Iwaizumi was still sleeping, and there wasn’t much in the fridge to eat, so Oikawa did the only thing he could think of and message Makki and Mattsun.

[ ** _group chat: disarming the *flexing emoji*_** ]

 **(** **◕** **‿** **◕✿** **)** >> can I ask someone for a favour ?

 **(^_ <)** **〜** **☆** >> yo yo Oikawa ofc what’s up?

 **(** **◕** **‿** **◕✿** **)** >> Iwa-chan’s kinda sick so do you think you could pick up some Agedashi tofu for him ? I’d make it myself but i couldn’t find any in his kitchen

 **(^_ <)** **〜** **☆** >> oh shit is it serious?? sorry man but I’m out with my dad right now and he’s giving me a glare for being on my phone. Mattsun?

 **(** **◕** **‿** **◕✿** **)** >> idk I hope it’s not v serious but I’m not sure yet

 **(** **￣** **Θ** **￣** **)** >> did someone call?

 **(^_ <)** **〜** **☆** >> yeah you derp Iwaizumi’s sick

 **(** **￣** **Θ** **￣** **)** >> shit yeah I just caught up. I’ll be there in like an hour. need me to pick anything else up?

 **(** **◕** **‿** **◕✿** **)** >> uhm, the green tea ice cream Iwa-chan likes

 **(^_ <)** **〜** **☆** >> lol old man flavours  

 **(** **◕** **‿** **◕✿** **)** >> oh and some cheese pizza pls

 **(** **￣** **Θ** **￣** **)** >> you got it

 **(^_ <)** **〜** **☆** >> hey u ok?

 **(** **◕** **‿** **◕✿** **)** >> yes yes dw about me !! and thanks Mattsun !

 **(^_ <)** **〜** **☆** >> hmm aite let us know if u need anything later

 **(** **◕** **‿** **◕✿** **)** >> will do ty

Oikawa didn’t want to worry Hanamaki and Matsukawa, but it seemed like he hadn’t been as discreet as he thought. Maybe asking for the ice cream was a little too much, but he wanted something sweet, and ice cream was always a good way to lighten up any bad mood. Even Iwaizumi wouldn’t be able to deny the treat… hopefully. At least the green tea flavour wasn’t too sweet for Iwaizumi.

While he waited for Matsukawa to show up, Oikawa flipped through the channels on the tv, settling on watching a drama re-run that had been going on since morning. It was one that he had never watched before, but he figured out what was going on pretty quickly even with all the episodes he had missed, and by the time Matsukawa arrived, he was too mesmerized in the series to even realize that he was there.

Thankfully, he had the sense to leave the door open, so Matsukawa let himself in.

“Yo,” he greeted, making Oikawa jump from his spot on the couch.

“Shit, I didn’t hear you there, sorry!” Oikawa apologized sheepishly, pushing aside the throw blankets he had wrapped himself up in and greeting his friend properly.

“No worries. I dropped off what you asked for in the kitchen. I also got some miso soup just in case, and the ice cream’s in the fridge,” Matsukawa nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen.

“Thanks, Mattsun. Iwa-chan’s still sleeping but I’m sure he’ll appreciate it when he wakes up,” Oikawa thanked.

“Yeah, anytime. You’re alright though, yeah? You and Iwaizumi, I mean? You seem kind of down, and I know you said you were good in the chat but, I don’t know, I guess it’s weird to tell me since Iwaizumi’s been my friend longer but you and me, we’re also friends so if you wanted to,” he trailed off awkwardly.

Oikawa shook his head, smiling at the sincerity. “That’s awfully sweet of you,” he chuckled. “But we’re good, I promise. We actually went to his father’s grave today and I guess that took a toll on him,” Oikawa admitted.

“He actually went?” Matsukawa raised his thick eyebrows, surprise etched into his normally stoic face.

“What are you talking about?” Oikawa frowned.

“Well, he hasn’t been since the funeral, I’m just surprised, is all. His mum goes, and Makki and I try to go and pay our respects since his dad was always kind to us. I think everyone could understand why Iwaizumi didn’t want to go but shit,” he whistled lowly.

Oikawa felt his heart plummet at the explanation. This was his first time since the funeral? It took him eight months? No wonder he was so worn out!

“Not even for Obon?”

“No,” he confirmed. “He wouldn’t talk about it, but I think being back home around that time really hit him hard and he’s always hated other people’s pity masked as sympathy, so he didn’t go. I think his mum was pissed, the only time I’ve ever seen her really angry with him, but Makki and I just… let him be,” Matsukawa answered honestly.

“Fuck, I shouldn’t have asked him if we could go. I never would have if I knew,” Oikawa bit his bottom lip nervously. “Do you think he’s mad at me?”

“No way,” Matsukawa shook his head. “If he didn’t put up a fight and agreed, I think he really wanted to go. He probably had a _reason_ for going with you around, you know?”

“That’s presumptuous,” Oikawa smiled wryly.

“Trust me,” Matsukawa insisted, patting Oikawa’s shoulder supportively. “Anyway, I’m free for the rest of the night and Makki should be done helping his dad by 9 pm, so let us know if you need anything else. I’ll go before we accidentally wake him up,” he smiled, thumping Oikawa on the back once more before taking his leave.

Oikawa walked Matsukawa to the door, locking it up after him, and returning to the kitchen to check what Matsukawa had bought.

He smiled upon noticing that the bag of food was accompanied by two cases of beer and the new DVD release of _Alien: Covenant_ , which Oikawa had yet to watch because it came out during final exams. He set the food on the table, put the beer to cool in the fridge, and put the movie on, turning the lights off and curling up on the couch under the blankets once more.

It was probably the stupidest thing he could do – watch a scary movie by himself – considering how easily paranoid he got, but he needed a distraction, something to stop himself from worrying about Iwaizumi, and how maybe he only needed Oikawa as his support until he worked his way up to getting over his father’s death. It was a stupid thought, one he couldn’t prove at all, but Matsukawa’s revelation had put Oikawa into a self-deprecating and doubtful mood.

Fifteen minutes into the movie, Oikawa was practically shivering under the blankets, eyes peaking out from a small hole that he had created in the material that otherwise cocooned his entire body. He had all but forgotten about his worries about how Iwaizumi felt about him, but the fear that an alien was going to come out of anywhere to kill him was all too real.

“Oikawa?”

“ _Fuck_!” Oikawa cursed, jumping up and standing up on the couch quickly. The pot lights dotting the ceiling turned on and he let out a completely undignified scream, which only stopped when he realized it was only Iwaizumi, and not some hostile alien that had come to abduct him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, stepping up off the couch and moving towards Iwaizumi, blanket still firmly wrapped around his body in protection.

“What am I doing? What are _you_ doing?” he chuckled. Oikawa felt the tension in his chest dissipate at hearing Iwaizumi’s deep laugh.

“Uhm, watching a movie by myself,” he admitted sheepishly.

“A scary one?” Iwaizumi’s lips twitched as Oikawa nodded. “In the dark?”

“I’m an adult, I can handle it,” Oikawa huffed indignantly. “And it wasn’t that dark when I first started – oh, I guess it’s raining,” he frowned, not having realized the thunderclouds that had rolled in outside until that moment. It had been clear skies all morning, so he hadn’t expected it to turn dark _this_ quickly.

“How long have you been up?” Iwaizumi asked, smiling at Oikawa’s putout expression.

“Uhm two hours?” he checked the clock on the wall. “Two and a half?”

“You should have woken me up. Now we’ll be up all night,” Iwaizumi frowned.

“That’s okay, you probably needed the sleep,” Oikawa assured, choosing not to mention the information Matsukawa had shared with him earlier. “Mattsun brought food. There’s agedashi tofu, miso soup, cheese pizza and even green tea ice cream for you,” Oikawa beamed, nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen.

“Hmm,” Iwaizumi acknowledged appreciatively. “Did you eat?”

“No, I was waiting for you,” Oikawa admitted. “You hungry?”

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi nodded. “How about we eat while we watch that movie _together_ , so you don’t give yourself nightmares,” he laughed at Oikawa’s flush.

“I wasn’t going to give myself _nightmares_ ,” Oikawa denied stubbornly. “Maybe just a few bad dreams,” he added under his breath, moving away to put the food out into plates and bowls for them to set up on the coffee table. “Sit, I’ll bring everything. I can’t have Iwa-chan doing work while he’s sick,” Oikawa pushed Iwaizumi in the direction of the couch when Iwaizumi moved to help him in the kitchen.

“I’m not sick,” he insisted.

“Being sad also counts as being sick,” Oikawa said, pressing the back of his hand to Iwaizumi’s neck. “No fever though so that’s good,” he hummed thoughtfully. He took the blanket off his shoulders and draped it over Iwaizumi’s own, biting back a smile at the way Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.

Iwaizumi moved away from the touch stubbornly, but Oikawa was just as adamant. He crossed his arms and waited for Iwaizumi to settle down on the couch before he returned to the kitchen to grab their dinner.

“Thanks,” Iwaizumi greeted, opening up the blanket for Oikawa to join him under. He took the bowl of soup Oikawa offered him, while Oikawa busied himself with the pizza.

Iwaizumi hadn’t touched the tofu yet, so Oikawa picked it up with his own chopsticks and offered it to Iwaizumi who took it without protest. Oikawa grinned at the lack of complaint. “Want me to rewind? It’s only been fifteen minutes,” he offered.

“Nah, that’s okay. Let’s watch from here,” he insisted.

“But then you’ll have missed the beginning,” Oikawa protested.

“Why’d you even ask me what I wanted if you were going to rewind _anyway_?” Iwaizumi chuckled. Oikawa flushed at being called out, but Iwaizumi just wrapped an arm around Oikawa’s shoulder and tugged him in closer. “Let’s rewind,” he amended.

“Okay,” Oikawa agreed easily, shuffling back against the couch. Oikawa was sure he was going to get nightmares from watching the movie, but with Iwaizumi sitting next to him, somehow it was bearable.

* * *

Well maybe it wasn’t _bearable_ , as much as it was a lot more distracting. By the time the movie ended, Oikawa was sated, a tad bit tipsy from having brought out the beers, and more than just a little jumpy.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa cried, rubbing his nose against Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I don’t think I can move from here tonight,” he whispered, twitching when the thunderstorm outside caused lightning to flash through the room. It cast shadows across the walls, making Oikawa think that there were other things, other _living things_ , inside the room aside from them.

“We’re not sleeping on the couch,” Iwaizumi denied.

“But I’m _scared_ ,” Oikawa hiccupped, wrapping his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck, eyes wide in fear and bribery. They had finished off one of the six-packs and made it halfway through the second, which was more than enough to get Oikawa in a frenzied state. At least Iwaizumi was doing better than him, which Oikawa certainly needed at the moment.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Iwaizumi asked seriously.

Oikawa paused for a few seconds, pulling his body back in Iwaizumi’s lap where he had settled himself, blinking owlishly. “Fuck, that’s really sexy,” he groaned eventually, pushing his head back into the crook of Iwaizumi’s neck.

Iwaizumi chuckled again. Oikawa’s heart soared at the sound. He hadn’t realized how much he missed hearing him laugh after not having heard it at all today. To be fair, they _had_ slept for most of the day, which cut down some of their time together, but still, Oikawa was glad to know that he was feeling better.

“Mmm, you smell good,” Oikawa sighed, breathing in against Iwaizumi’s neck. “Always smell good. Even when you’re sweaty.”

“That’s gross,” Iwaizumi said half-heartedly, trailing his hands up Oikawa’s back absentmindedly. The touch made Oikawa shiver as much as it made him dig his face in impossibly deeper against Iwa-chan.

“I just complimented you. You should say, ‘ _thank you, Tooru-sama_ ,’” Oikawa chided, nipping at the skin of Iwaizumi’s neck lightly in punishment.

Iwaizumi just laughed harder at that, which wasn’t the reaction Oikawa was going for at all. Before Oikawa could protest, Iwaizumi had nudged him back so he could press their lips together.

The kiss was sweet, and affectionate; Oikawa thought he could drown in it forever. The way Iwaizumi pressed his lips against Oikawa’s so softly made him feel like the touch was barely there, but the way his hands splayed across Oikawa’s back, inching under his shirt made his body feel like it was on fire.

Iwaizumi’s hands weren’t even doing anything other than resting against his skin, but the proximity had Oikawa on edge. He felt like there wasn’t enough air to fill his lungs, but that just made him press against Iwaizumi’s lips deeper because he was the only thing Oikawa really needed.

“I love you, _Tooru-sama_ ,” Iwaizumi teased, pulling apart and pressing their foreheads together. They were both breathing heavily, the huffs of air parting through their lips shared by one another due to the closeness. Oikawa blushed furiously at the declaration, his cheeks turning a dark pink, which Iwaizumi was quick to trace with the pads of his thumb.

“So soft,” he hummed, moving his hands down to cup Oikawa’s cheeks between his palms before pulling him in for another kiss.

“ _I – wa – chan_ ,” Oikawa purred, moving away to nose at Iwaizumi’s jawline.

“Hmm.”

“ _Ha – ji – me_ ,” he repeated in that same tone.

“Yeah?”

“Love you,” Oikawa grinned pulling back, like it was a secret and he was saying it for the first time. It took Iwaizumi by surprise, the sincerity in his voice, the happiness behind his eyes, but it also made his heart swell in admiration.

“Me too,” he agreed. “Still scared, or can we go up to my room now?”

“Hmm,” Oikawa said pensively. “Still scared,” he smiled, wrapping his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck protectively.

“Then come on, I’ll carry you,” Iwaizumi chuckled, moving to stand up and offering his back to Oikawa to climb on.

Oikawa wrapped his legs around Iwaizumi’s waist and tightened his hold on Iwaizumi’s neck, as if it wasn’t secure to begin with. Iwaizumi only sighed amusedly at the action, moving around the coffee table and through the living room.

“Should we have cleaned up first?” Oikawa frowned when Iwaizumi dropped him on the bed.

“Do you want me to leave you here by yourself?” Iwaizumi quipped.

“ _No_ , come back, don’t leave me for the aliens!” Oikawa wailed, lip quivering at the thought of being left in the dark room by himself. Aliens were supposed to be _nice_ , dammit, why did the movie have to make him think he was going to be eaten by them?

“I won’t, I was just joking, I promise,” Iwaizumi soothed, getting into the bed and pulling Oikawa close to him.

“Promise?” Oikawa asked, eyes shining. He had definitely had a little too much to drink, which was embarrassing because who got drunk off _four beers_ , but Iwaizumi didn’t seem to mind, and Oikawa certainly wasn’t going to complain about being held tightly.

“I promise,” Iwaizumi nodded, tucking the hair that was covering Oikawa’s face behind his ears.

“Even when the school year ends?” Oikawa asked quietly.

“What are you talking about?” Iwaizumi asked gently, trying to wrap his mind around the question.

“When the school year ends, you promise not to leave me then too?” Oikawa had turned his eyes down, refusing look at Iwaizumi’s face. He hated being vulnerable, but after the day they just had, he couldn’t help but think that maybe Iwaizumi was moving on and he didn’t need him anymore.

“What gave you the idea that I was even thinking about doing that?” Iwaizumi furrowed his brows, mind suddenly overcome by doubtful thoughts.

“I don’t know,” Oikawa shrugged, eyes looking anywhere but at Iwaizumi's own ones searching for some kind of answer in Oikawa's gaze.

“Oikawa, come on, why would you think I’d do that? Did I do something wrong?”

Oikawa shook his head immediately to quell any of Iwaizumi's doubts. “Of course not!” he denied, pausing after that. “It’s just…” he trailed off, searching for some way to word his thoughts. “Mattsun told me that you haven’t visited your father’s grave since the funeral. Not even for Obon,” Oikawa said quietly. “And when you went today, I thought maybe now you were okay with it and you’d probably want to be closer to him again,” he shrugged again, sniffling against his will. “That was selfish of me to ask, I’m sorry, forget I said anything. You should move back if it makes you happy.”

“ _You_ make me happy,” Iwaizumi said firmly. “And it’s not like that. I told you a while ago that I never wanted you to think that I latched on to you as some sort of coping mechanism. I’d never do that to you, okay?”

“Okay,” Oikawa nodded weakly, still not meeting Iwaizumi’s eyes.

“Come on, Oikawa, look at me,” Iwaizumi said gently, tilting Oikawa’s chin up. “Look at me, please?” he asked when Oikawa shifted his eyes to look anywhere but at Iwaizumi’s intense gaze. When he did look at him, he felt the world still. Even in the dark, Iwaizumi’s passion was visible, which Oikawa was wholly unprepared for.

“Mattsun was right, I haven’t gone to the shrine since the funeral,” he admitted. Oikawa resisted the urge to look away; Iwaizumi’s dark eyes were staring so intently at him that he couldn’t have, even if he tried to. “But that was because I was stubborn and felt slighted,” he admitted. “And when I moved away, I could tell myself that there was no way I could go back and visit,” he laughed wryly.

“You don’t have to explain it to me,” Oikawa insisted, feeling the guilt seep into him.

“I want to,” Iwaizumi nodded his head firmly. “I was fully prepared to stay stubborn and continue ignoring the past because it wasn’t fair, and then you and your charming smile, and your cute ‘ _Iwa-chan’s_ ’ were suddenly there and I thought that maybe life wasn’t really as unfair as I thought it was,” he laughed shakily. “But by the time I came back home, it was awkward and I didn’t want my family to hate me for not paying my respects so I still stayed away from the shrine, which I got a huge lecture for by the way,” Iwaizumi chuckled.

Oikawa smiled endearingly, giving Iwaizumi the support he needed to continue.

“So when you asked if we could go, I figured there was my chance to make it up to my dad for being such a shit son. I wanted to go, but I didn’t think I deserved to be able to, so thank you for giving me the reason I needed.”

“You’re not a shit son,” Oikawa shook his head. “You’re awfully sweet and considerate. You’re too kind for your own good, and take on too much responsibility. I doubt anyone cares how long it took you to visit and if they do then screw them because everyone copes in their own way. I’m glad you took me to visit though,” Oikawa nodded, tangling his hand in Iwaizumi’s, squeezing his fingers gently.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better person to visit with,” Iwaizumi whispered. “So no, I’m not leaving when the school year ends. That was never my intention, and yeah, maybe I’m over my dad’s death but I like _you_ , and I don’t want to leave you, so I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me,” he promised sincerely.

“Are you sure about that?” Oikawa asked through watery eyes. “You might regret telling me that in the future.”

“No way. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I’d be an idiot to think otherwise,” Iwaizumi assured firmly.

“Always then,” Oikawa answered. “I’ll have you stay with me always.”

“Always,” Iwaizumi nodded his head. “Because there wasn’t a chance in hell you could have gotten rid of me otherwise,” he smiled, dropping his hand from Oikawa’s chin and pulling his face into his chest.

Oikawa clutched Iwaizumi tighter within his grasp, biting his lip hard to prevent himself from crying, because he was supposed to be _happy_ , dammit.

But maybe the alcohol was really getting to him, or maybe he had always been weak to Iwaizumi’s sincerity; hearing the firmness of his boyfriend’s conclusion made Oikawa’s heart feel like it was going to burst from how hard it was beating, how _raw_ it was making the rest of him feel.

Iwaizumi liked him.

Iwaizumi _loved_ him.

And he wanted to be there for him – be there _with_ him.

 _Always_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to give u a heads up that next week's chapter _may_ be delayed! the pdf/ebook version of this fic is coming out, and i have a friend who has so amazingly offered to do the whole layout and that takes time (please go visit [@elleh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elleh/pseuds/Elleh) and read her fics as a thank u for doing this!) so the one time i may not put a chapter out on Friday might be bc of this, i hope u can understand! 
> 
> i won't be giving u a "next time" update today either, bc well, u'll just have to wait and see what the epilogue offers ^^ 
> 
> i've spent over 6 months on this fic and i know many of u have been with it since the beginning, so _thank u_ for reading so faithfully! i would really love to be able to hear from u about this chapter bc it really is the _end before the end_ and the comments would mean the world to me ♡
> 
> i also have a tumblr if u would like to interact with me on there and a twitter if ur interested in the ramblings of my life lol


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first, i want to apologize for not posting last week! 
> 
> but wow, can you believe we're at this point? that this fic is finally complete? i want to thank everyone who has read this fic from beginning to end, whether you joined in when the first chapter was posted or if you found it later, thank you for reading! 
> 
> to everyone who kudos and commented on this fic: y'all are my real inspiration. your encouraging words mean the world to me, and i loved reading every single thing you had to say! <3 you all kept me motivated and so happy w/ your words and i want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with this fic until the end <3
> 
> i can't promise _too_ much, but i do have a few one-shots planned for this series - yes, this is now a series, so if you want to be notified when i put more fics up for this world, please subscribe! i may have something bigger but ahhh, we'll see what time allows lol
> 
> i’d also like to give a big shoutout to [@snowshu](http://snowshu.tumblr.com/) for making this [**amazing fanart**](http://snowshu.tumblr.com/post/167754603797/im-bad-at-comics-o-but-heres-a-scene-from) for the last chapter’s shrine scene! if you could pls like/reblog to show your support, i’d really appreciate it!!

The month of April brought a lot of firsts in Japan: the start of the fiscal year, the beginning of Spring, the blooming of cherry blossoms, and Hanami that followed. 

It was one of the most beautiful times of the year throughout the entire country; the budding of flowers after winter had passed put a fresh sort of feeling in the air, the whirring of bicycles as students zipped past busy streets to make it to school on time, hoping to start the new year off on a good note was exciting and thrilling and full of renewed spirits; and the sense of happiness and warmth that new beginnings brought had _always_ made April Oikawa’s favourite month of the year. 

Because no matter how the past year had gone, Spring was a time to look forward, a time to embrace the future and to learn from all the good and bad that had occurred. 

This year, April was even more special because it brought a lot of new firsts in Oikawa’s life: his first time as a university senior – so close to graduating and being out in the real world, his first time stepping foot in _Coffee King_ as a manager after having been promoted, and his first time having a roommate other than Kuroo since he moved to go to school in Tokyo. 

The clear skies and soft patches of grass peaking out through the melting snow made the city so pretty, especially in the early hours of the morning when most people were still asleep. But working the 6 am shift, especially on the first day of each new semester, and _especially_ at the start of each new school year, had become a sort of tradition, which Oikawa wasn’t at all upset about upholding. 

Even if that meant that he had to peel himself away from Iwaizumi’s warm body at 5 am just so he could get ready for the day. 

It had been difficult adjusting to the dim early morning light, even more so when it cast its shadows across Iwaizumi’s face, which made Oikawa want to stay in bed with him for the rest of his life. 

But he had a job to do, and a store to run. The realization put him in a good mood instantly. Iwaizumi, as usual, slept through Oikawa’s morning routine, which wasn’t all that big of a deal because Oikawa was very quiet about getting ready. But he did wish that he could have gotten a kiss before he had to leave, although he settled with placing a soft one of his own to Iwaizumi’s cheek for the time being. 

When he got to the store, new set of keys in hand, school bag slung over his right shoulder, and an upbeat smile on his face, he was met with loud cheering and hollering from Bokuto, as well as a small smile and a, “Congrats, Tooru,” from Kenma. 

His face reddened, because his friends didn’t have to be at work for another half hour but they had come early to congratulate him anyway. 

“I knew you’d get the job!” Bokuto yelled proudly, slinging one arm over Oikawa’s shoulder, which made it a little difficult for him to open the door but Oikawa wouldn’t dismiss Bokuto’s affections. 

Not when he was too happy grinning brightly the whole time. He liked praise, and he certainly liked being recognized for a job well done, but seeing his friends’ genuine happiness for him made Oikawa feel a little shy. 

“Thanks, guys,” he beamed, pulling Bokuto and Kenma into a wide hug, which they returned wholeheartedly. 

He pulled away from them to drop his belongings off in the staff room. Right before he returned to the front, Oikawa caught side of his new badge in the floor length mirror to the left of the door. 

 _Manager_. That definitely had a nice ring to it. He adjusted the nametag a second time, even though it was already clipped cleanly to the front of his work shirt, and checked his appearance once again before heading out the door. 

“Does this mean I can get a raise?” Bokuto asked cheekily. 

He should have been checking the stocks, but instead, he was hovering around Oikawa excitedly, which might have been annoying if it wasn’t for the fact that this was _Bokuto_. 

“Hmm, maybe if you get promoted to head barista,” Oikawa shrugged, biting back a laugh at the way Bokuto’s jaw dropped. He turned his head and busied himself with setting all the chairs down on the ground, tucking them neatly under the tables in preparation for the morning rush. 

“But wait, that’s Suga’s job!”

“Well, Suga just might get promoted to Assistant Manager since the position is open and all,” Oikawa hummed, turning his head away to hide his laugh. 

But Bokuto was taller than him and he was on Oikawa’s other side in an instant, gold eyes wide with excitement and confusion. “What about Kenma?” he frowned. “He’s been here longer than I have and I’d feel bad, like I’m overstepping,” he explained. 

“Hey Kenma,” Oikawa called out, bringing the other barista’s attention away from the machines he was turning on to warm up to the other side of the shop where Oikawa and Bokuto stood. “Do you want to be the head barista?” 

Kenma wrinkled his nose immediately. “No way. I’m busy enough as it is,” he denied, turning back to his task. 

“There you have it,” Oikawa smiled. “Now are you going to take the offer or will I have to hire someone else?” he nudged Bokuto’s shoulder. 

“Ah!” Bokuto shouted, wrapping both arms around Oikawa’s neck and squeezing him in a crushing hug. “You’re the best!” he exclaimed happily.

“Yeah, yeah, tell me something I don’t know,” Oikawa rolled his eyes, trying and failing to keep a neutral expression. His face broke out in a grin at the sight of Bokuto’s sunny smile, which was all the permission Bokuto needed to wrap Oikawa in another hug. “Now go make the best drinks you’ve ever made today and prove to me that you deserve your promotion,” Oikawa chided. 

“You got it, boss!” Bokuto grinned, walking off to his station. 

April might have brought a lot of firsts, but it also brought a lot of familiarity with it. 

It was easy to fall into the rhythm of the morning rush. After spending most of March in Tokyo, it was becoming a little boring without the onslaught of students to keep the shop busy at all times of the day. Dealing with so many people at once was difficult, but it was also fun in the busy sort of way. 

Not all customers were the kindest or most polite, but the good ones more than made up for it. 

And the _great_ ones always reminded Oikawa of why he loved his job so much.

“Good morning!” Oikawa chirped, face pulled up into a cheery smile, hands clasped in front of him, and fingers twiddling with one another. 

“Morning,” Iwaizumi greeted, meeting Oikawa’s sunny smile with one of his own, dimples that caused Oikawa’s heart to palpitate deeply sown into his cheeks. 

“What can I get for you?” 

“A large Americano,” Iwaizumi repeated faithfully, although Oikawa knew his coffee order by now, considering he _had_ been the one to make Iwaizumi try everything until his boyfriend picked something he enjoyed. “And a good morning kiss,” he added cheekily, laughing when Oikawa’s eyes went wide at the suggestion. 

Oikawa craned his neck behind Iwaizumi to see the long line of people waiting for their coffee fix. They only had three people working the front, which was more than enough, but he had a feeling that he was already taking too much time with Iwaizumi. And as the new manager, the last thing Oikawa wanted to do was give people a reason to complain about him.

He didn’t respond, but the blush dusting his cheeks gave away his embarrassment. Or maybe it was his affection – Oikawa could never tell when it came to Iwaizumi. 

He turned away before his boyfriend had the chance to protest, filling the coffee cup up with Iwaizumi's order. He scribbled a few x’s on the side, because if he couldn’t give Iwaizumi a proper kiss, the ones on the cup would have to do until he could.

When he handed the cup of steaming coffee off to Iwaizumi, his boyfriend inspected it before clucking his tongue in disapproval. 

“Not good enough,” he said, leaning in, while pulling Oikawa by the hand to meet him half way across the counter, placing a proper kiss to his lips. It was quick and chaste, but had Oikawa flushing madly, especially when the room erupted in laughter and yells at the sight. 

“ _Iwa-chan_!” Oikawa scolded, trying to cover his blush with his hands, which only made the laughter in the room increase. He felt like his face was going to melt off.

Whatever happened to the Iwaizumi who was _embarrassed_ about letting Oikawa kiss him in public? What happened to his boyfriend who used to flush at the mere _idea_ of showing any affection when there were others around? 

Since when did he leave Oikawa’s heart beating uncontrollably, face flushed, eyes wide, and body slowly melting? 

 _Always_ , the voice in his mind reminded. Iwaizumi had always had that effect on him, since the very moment Oikawa laid eyes on him in this exact store, and it seemed like his boyfriend was taking advantage of this newfound information as of late. 

Iwaizumi slid a few yen notes across the counter, grabbed a sleeve for his cup, and waved at Oikawa, whispering a “See you at home,” before taking his leave, rendering Oikawa entirely useless as he stood there, a spluttering mess, until Kenma nudged him to the back to get himself together. 

* * *

Aside from almost being done with his degree, being a senior also came with some other perks, including less time spent in classes. And thankfully, the privilege also extended to engineering majors, because universities weren’t so cruel as to make the last year of any program miserable when it should have been enjoyable. 

So when Oikawa came home from a long day of work and then classes at around 6 pm that evening, Iwaizumi was already in the kitchen, starting dinner for the two of them. 

With the kitchen fan whirring above his head, Iwaizumi hadn’t noticed Oikawa enter the apartment. Oikawa kicked off his shoes and dropped his bag off in the genkan, making a mental note to pick it up later because he was hungry and whatever Iwaizumi was cooking smelled really good. 

By the time he made it down the hall, and the entrance separating the kitchen from the living room came into view, Oikawa could tell that it wasn’t just a quick dinner that Iwaizumi was cooking but rather a proper _meal_. Oikawa extended one hand to grip the open doorway as he watched Iwaizumi with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, sweat beading down the back of his neck, hunched over a large pot on the stove. 

It was cute, and made Oikawa smile, until he remembered that Iwaizumi had unapologetically embarrassed him at work that morning, and then his smile was replaced by a firm purse of his lips. He dropped his hand to the side and sidled over to Iwaizumi, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. 

“Hi,” Iwaizumi smiled, leaving the ladle he had been stirring to sit in the pot idly. “I didn’t hear you get home, how was your first day?” 

Iwaizumi moved in to kiss Oikawa, but Oikawa was more prepared than he had been that morning. He put both his hands up to meet Iwaizumi’s chest, stopping him from moving any closer. 

“Nu-uh, you don’t get to do that,” Oikawa shook his head. 

“Why?” Iwaizumi frowned. He reached behind him to turn the stove off, before bringing his attention back to Oikawa. Oikawa raised his eyebrows challengingly. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re pissed about this morning,” Iwaizumi smiled. “Come on baby, I don’t think anyone minded, least of all me,” he chuckled. 

“Yeah, I know _you_ didn’t mind,” he huffed. “What if someone complained to corporate about me? It was only my first day as manager so what if I lose the position? What if I get _fired_?” Oikawa whined.

“You won’t,” Iwaizumi affirmed, ignoring Oikawa’s hands that were still placed firmly against his chest and moving to encircle Oikawa’s hips instead. The action caught Oikawa off guards, and he found his hold weakening. 

Iwaizumi took the opportunity to press Oikawa closer to him, ignoring his whines of protest that were completely at odds with the way Oikawa snuggled his chest comfortable against Iwaizumi’s chest. 

“But Iwa-chan, you don’t _know_ that. I’m going to lose my job, and all because my boyfriend is a huge fucking _sap_ ,” Oikawa complained, weakly beating his fist against Iwaizumi’s chest. “ _Morning kiss_ ,” he repeated huffily. 

“Relax, everyone loves you. No one will complain and you _won’t_ get fired,” he soothed, running one hand down the length of Oikawa’s back while his other held him tightly against his chest. 

Oikawa hummed noncommittally, enjoying the attention. As much as he was annoyed, he wasn’t really angry, and having Iwaizumi so close to him always put him in a tranquil mood. Especially when he could hear Iwaizumi’s steadily beating chest, and Oikawa was reminded of just how much he loved falling asleep to that sound. 

“If I do though, I’m making you get me my job back,” Oikawa threatened. 

Iwaizumi chuckled, that deep, low rumble. “And how do you expect me to do that?” 

“I don’t know, beg?” Oikawa suggested. 

Iwaizumi was right though; the chances of him getting fired were little to none. Oikawa had been working at _Coffee King_ for going on four years now. He had never had a complaint before, so even if he _did_ receive one now, getting fired was not going to be the next course of action. 

“Or, just buy me the entire store and we’ll call it even,” he teased. 

“What kind of money do you think I have?” Iwaizumi laughed, pressing a kiss to Oikawa’s cheek. 

“Enough to buy me endless supplies of milk bread at least?” Oikawa asked, leaning back to pout at Iwaizumi with large, hopeful eyes. 

“Now that’s something I can do,” he agreed, nudging Oikawa slightly so he could check on the food that was still bubbling despite the heat having been turned off. 

Oikawa moved aside and hung off Iwaizumi’s left shoulder, peering over it to see what it was that smelled so good. “Hmm, what’s this?” he asked, nosing against the side of Iwaizumi’s neck. 

“Nabeyaki udon. You liked it so much at that restaurant we went to for Kuroo’s birthday in Shinjuku that I thought I could recreate it for you here,” he admitted. 

“Oh? And what’s the occasion?” Oikawa chuckled, pressing a kiss to Iwaizumi’s cheek, which was steadily growing vermillion. 

Iwaizumi turned his face to give him a look, as if to say ‘ _really_ ’ but Oikawa only shrugged his shoulders quickly, feigning innocence. If Iwaizumi was allowed to embarrass him in public, then Oikawa could _at least_ embarrass him when they were home together, away from prying eyes.

“First dinner in our new home?” 

“Are you asking me, or are you telling me?” Oikawa laughed lightly, moving away from Iwaizumi’s swatting hand. 

“Don’t laugh at me, Shittykawa,” he grumbled. 

“Thank you,” he cooed, closing his eyes in a sweet smile. “Even though you’ve been living here for a year now, and I unofficially moved in a long time ago,” he chuckled. 

“Yeah, but today’s the first day we pay rent with _both_ of our names on the lease,” Iwaizumi reminded, taking the pot off the stove and moving aside to check the tofu. 

“You big sap,” Oikawa teased, but the way his whole face lit up showed just how happy he was that Iwaizumi was making such a big deal about them moving in together. 

It _was_ a big deal, and not just because it meant they were _serious_ , even though they had pretty much been living together since December. It made Oikawa happy that they were moving in the right direction at a good pace. Being so close to one another guaranteed that they’d always fall asleep together, even if one of them came home too late or woke up too early. 

Their individual schedules aside, it made Oikawa happy to know that Iwaizumi wanted him _near_ , because no matter how much his boyfriend told him that, Oikawa would never get tired of hearing the compliment. 

“Set the table and I’ll bring the food over?” Iwaizumi asked, breaking Oikawa out of his reverie. 

“Sure, but where’s Mochi? She should eat with us too!” Oikawa reminded, head peaking out of the kitchen in search of their kitten, who was surprisingly not purring up a storm or rubbing her head against their legs.

Iwaizumi liked to say that Oikawa spoiled her too much, which was why she was so whiny and craved attention, but Oikawa thought she was perfect. And he knew that Iwaizumi secretly (or maybe not so secretly) thought that she was too, if the way Oikawa found him gently tucking her into her bed and the way he always gave her treats when she got all doe-eyed with him was anything to go by. 

“Napping, so don’t wake her up or else she won’t leave us alone,” Iwaizumi frowned. 

“Is that _any_ way to talk about our _child_?” Oikawa gasped, ignoring his boyfriend’s protests and moving into their room where Mochi was very much still asleep.

It had only been three and a half months since they adopted the stray kitten who had only been six weeks old at the time that Oikawa found her, but he had grown attached to her pretty blue eyes and soft, grey fur the instant he laid eyes on her, mewling and shivering against the cold snow. 

She looked so peaceful that he didn’t want to wake her up anymore, now that he had seen her breathing softly against her pillow, but she must have sensed his presence, because before Oikawa could close the bedroom door and retreat back to the dining room, she pawed at her bed and opened her round eyes slowly. 

Oikawa held back the squeal of delight he felt at knowing she had woken up for him. He quickly moved into the room, knees bent to scoop her up in his arms. He was rewarded by a soft nuzzle to his chest when he scratched behind her ears that slowly bent forward at the action, urging Oikawa on. 

She didn’t protest when Oikawa got up with her in his hands – not when he continued to pet her soft fur the entire time. 

“Iwa-chan, look!” Oikawa cried, bringing her out to the dinner table, which Iwaizumi had set up in his absence. 

“At what? The fact that you woke her up even though I told you not to?” he quipped. 

“I didn’t wake her up,” Oikawa huffed indignantly. “She woke up all by herself because she loves me. Right Mochi?” Oikawa asked expectantly; the kitten mewled softly in response, putting a smug smile on Oikawa’s face. “Told you so,” he added anyway, just for good measure. 

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched in an almost-smile nevertheless. “Come on, let’s eat before the food gets cold,” he jerked his head towards the table where he had set out their servings. 

“What’s this?” Oikawa grinned, noticing that Iwaizumi had put Mochi’s food bowl filled with her dinner on the table along with their own food as well. “Hajime-chan thinks he’s so tough, setting up all the rules but he can’t say no to you either, huh?” Oikawa asked, rubbing Mochi’s forehead when she wrinkled her nose in agreement. 

“Stop talking to the cat and sit down,” Iwaizumi sighed, blushing at the nickname Oikawa had resorted to. 

“She’s not just a _cat_. She’s our precious kitten, aren’t you baby?” Oikawa corrected Iwaizumi before turning back to coo at Mochi who was still curled up in his arms. “But he’s still a little mean so you love Tooru-chan the best, don’t you?” he asked Mochi, who mewled again in response. 

Oikawa grinned, ignoring the way Iwaizumi was shooting him a deadpan stare, and set Mochi down on the table before pulling out his own chair. 

“Thank you for cooking,” Oikawa beamed, which earned him a scoff. “What?” 

“You talk shit about me to Mochi as if I wasn’t there, and then expect me to take your praise?” he challenged. 

Oikawa’s mouth fell open at the accusation. “I wasn’t talking _shit_ , I was – hang on, are you _jealous_?” Oikawa laughed. Mochi ignored them in favour of the food in her bowl now that she had access to it 

“I’m not jealous,” Iwaizumi denied. The deep flush creeping up his neck said otherwise. Oikawa decided not to point it out.

“What I can’t tell is whether you’re jealous that Mochi likes me better,” he paused, “or if you’re jealous that I’m paying more attention to her than I am to you,” he hummed. 

Iwaizumi scoffed again, this time less convincing than before. “I’m _not_ jealous.” 

“Hmm, well it’s a good thing you’re not jealous,” Oikawa agreed. “Because I’m pretty sure her favourite is whoever gives her food and right now, you’re winning out,” Oikawa chuckled. “And no one could ever have more of my attention than you,” he added, biting back a laugh at the way Iwaizumi’s face flushed deeper. 

“Shut up,” he frowned. 

“One way only,” Oikawa smiled, standing up slightly to lean over the table and pull Iwaizumi by the collar into a deep kiss. 

Unfortunately, the clattering of Mochi’s food bowl distracted them from taking the kiss any further than a few open-mouthed presses of their lips against one another. It was one of the only times Oikawa found himself slightly annoyed with their cat – the other time being her having one of her episodes where she demanded food while they were in the middle of having sex. 

“Oi, watch her if you’re going to let her sit at the table with us,” Iwaizumi chided, pushing Oikawa back to pick up the fallen food. “She’ll get sick if she eats your food,” he frowned. 

Oikawa sighed, moving back to halt Mochi in her steps before she could dip her tiny nose into his bowl. “Bad, Mochi,” he chided half-heartedly. When she widened her eyes though, Oikawa felt his heart melt, and he instinctively reached behind her head to scratch at the place she loved being petted at the most. 

“Now you know how I feel every time I see you making that dumb look,” Iwaizumi tutted, turning towards the kitchen to discard the mess before Oikawa could get in a good retort, otherwise. 

He still managed to yell an undignified “ _Iwa-chan_!” because it just wasn’t _fair_ how good Iwaizumi was at making him feel like a middle schooler with their first crush again. 

* * *

Since Mochi had taken a mid-evening nap, it took a considerably longer time for them to make her settle down for the night. Eventually, Oikawa moved her bed into the living room because no matter how much Iwa-chan insisted that it was _okay_ for her to sleep in their room, it was fucking weird to have her pretty blue eyes stare at them quietly from her spot in her little bed in the corner of the room, while Oikawa tried to suck his boyfriend off. 

He loved the little kitten, but there were certain things he wouldn’t allow her to do, and one of those was letting her mind get tainted by their bedroom activities, which had Iwaizumi laughing hard at Oikawa’s weird protectiveness, and Oikawa blushing madly until Iwaizumi returned the favour, taking him to the back of his throat and giving Oikawa a reason to be as flushed as he was. 

“Your brother called today,” Iwaizumi said absentmindedly once they had cleaned off and settled back into the bed, covers thrown over their legs, even though Oikawa knew that by the morning, they’d wake up with them tangled instead. 

“Why’d he call you?” Oikawa frowned, draping his arm across Iwaizumi’s bare chest. No matter the weather, Iwaizumi was always impossibly warm. The heat made Oikawa’s arm tingle and caused the warmth to spread to his fingers that were gently playing with the hairs at the base of Iwaizumi’s neck. 

“Because _you_ haven’t been answering his calls for the past week.” Oikawa’s eyes were closed, but if they were open, he was certain that he’d be able to see Iwaizumi giving him a sardonic expression. 

“His calls are all _boring_ now,” Oikawa scowled. “All he ever talks about is wedding stuff, and it’s driving me nuts.” 

Iwaizumi laughed. “Don’t you think it’s driving _him_ a little more than nuts considering it’s his wedding?” he asked gently. “Pick up next time; maybe he just misses his little brother,” Iwaizumi laughed, pressing a kiss to Oikawa’s mouth when he was met with a pouty expression. “But that’s what he called about today. He’s coming over this weekend to pick up his tux so he’ll be in town.” 

“What day next weekend?” Oikawa opened his eyes just to narrow them at Iwaizumi. The way his boyfriend’s face fell into a sheepish expression answered Oikawa’s question without any kind of verbal confirmation. “You didn’t tell him about the housewarming party, _right_?” Oikawa pressed, eyes slanting further. 

“Uhm, it may have slipped out?” Iwaizumi asked hesitantly. 

“ _What_?” Oikawa asked, sitting up on the bed so he had some kind of leverage over Iwaizumi who was still lying flat on his back. “I don’t want him there, please tell me he’s not going to be there,” he frowned. 

“Don’t be rude, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi chided. 

“Oniichan and all my friends in the same place is going to be terrible. They’ll all just try to embarrass me and ruin the party,” he frowned, puffing out his cheeks and moving away from Iwaizumi’s touch. 

“I’ll be there,” Iwaizumi reminded.

“I know, and you’re going to be the _worst_ of them all.” 

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Iwaizumi groaned at Oikawa’s sour mood. “He asked if we wanted to go out for lunch with him, and I told him we couldn’t because we were having a party and he asked ‘Who’ and I said ‘ _We_ ; Tooru and I’ and he asked ‘You’re throwing two parties on the same day?’ and I guess I should have realized at that point but it’s not my fault that _you_ didn’t tell your brother about us moving in together but I said ‘No, it’s a housewarming party since Tooru and I are living together now’ and he got all silent for a few seconds but before I could cover my tracks he said ‘Well then, I guess I’ll just mooch free food off of you instead’ before hanging up.” 

“I can’t believe you,” Oikawa groaned, throwing his hands up to cover his eyes. 

“Me? You’re the one who didn’t tell your family we were living together,” Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows expectantly. “ _Which_ , I assume you have a good explanation for?” 

“Ugh,” Oikawa groaned, throwing his face down against Iwaizumi’s chest, huffing against it incoherently. 

“What’s that?” Iwaizumi teased, brushing down Oikawa’s back encouragingly.

“They’d just make a big deal about it and try to inspect you all over again,” Oikawa frowned. “It was embarrassing, but I guess I had nothing to worry about if Tetsu-nii didn’t say anything weird to you, and otousan didn’t give you a call,” Oikawa chewed his bottom lip in thought. 

“Actually, he did,” Iwaizumi laughed. 

“Ugh,” Oikawa repeated, attempting to hide his face against Iwa-chan. “What’d he say?” he asked, pulling back. 

“‘ _Just because you’re in a committed relationship does not mean that you can abstain from safe sex_ ,’” Iwaizumi repeated in Oikawa’s father’s deep voice. 

“Oh my god,” Oikawa cried, practically throwing his entire body down against Iwaizumi’s, who was apparently taking this better than Oikawa had thought he would. “I don’t know what’s more surprising,” Oikawa admitted after a few moments of silently moping against Iwaizumi. “The fact that my dad said the words ‘safe sex’ or the fact that he didn’t lecture you on consent again.” 

“Please, let’s not bring up embarrassing old memories,” Iwaizumi chuckled, nudging Oikawa down so that his cheek was pressed against his own pillow, their bodies turned to the side so they could face one another. “Thanks for moving in with me,” Iwaizumi sighed, quiet enough for Oikawa to have missed it if he hadn’t been looking at Iwaizumi at the time, giving his boyfriend his undivided attention. 

“Thanks for asking me,” Oikawa replied easily. 

“I keep feeling like it won’t be very different from the past few months,” Iwaizumi admitted. Oikawa laughed lightly in agreement. “But everything that happens here will be _us_ , you know? It’s not just things that happen in my apartment but _our_ apartment, and every new memory will be _us_ ,” he explained awkwardly, tanned cheeks flushing so cutely that Oikawa couldn’t help but brush his hand across the skin. 

“New memories, huh?” Oikawa smiled, pulling his hand down Iwaizumi’s face to tangle in his own hand. “I like the sounds of that. We’ll have plenty of chances for new memories here,” he hummed in agreement, thinking about all the things they had planned for the year. 

There was the housewarming party to look forward to, definitely, but there was also the fact that Iwaizumi had agreed to take an astronomy elective with Oikawa so that they could spend one Wednesday night every month stargazing, even if it was with an entire class. It was ridiculously sappy, and every time Oikawa thought about it he was overcome with giddiness, but it made him so happy that he couldn’t help but indulge. 

“What are you humming so happily about?” Iwaizumi asked gently, tangling Oikawa’s legs between his own under the sheets. 

“How much I’m looking forward to making new memories with you. But the old ones are important too, even if they’re embarrassing, because we got to share them together. Selfish, right?” Oikawa asked, shivering against the way Iwaizumi’s thumb brushed over the back of his hand. 

“Not a chance. We’ll revisit old ones and make our own along the way too,” Iwaizumi promised.

“Love you,” Oikawa smiled, pressing a chaste kiss to Iwaizumi’s lips. 

“Mmm, love you too,” Iwaizumi agreed, silently lacing their fingers as they drifted off to sleep. 

April really _was_ Oikawa’s favourite month and this year only heightened that notion. It was filled with lots of new beginnings, lots of firsts, but also lots of old memories that he could build up and visit with the same wonderful people all over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew, we made it to the end! thank you, thank you, thank you so much again, for reading!! 
> 
> i’m super excited to say that there is going to be an epub/pdf format that my friend Elleh is working on but it’ll take some time. for updates and just to talk to me if you want about this fic or anything else, please follow my tumblr: [@oiivkawa](http://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/)! 
> 
> shameless plugging time! i'm currently working on another ongoing fic that i'm trying to update weekly! i put it on hold for a while bc i was so focused on coffee king, but it's back now and (hopefully) going to be updated regularly! please check out my fic [ride or die](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11621877/chapters/26131707) if you liked this work!
> 
> i’m really happy to be done but also, this was 7 months of my life right here and i am feeling kinda lost now that i don’t have this fic to update every week. it’s a bittersweet feeling for sure but i would love to hear all the feedback and comments now that this work is over ahh~ i look forward to hearing your thoughts and getting to interact w/ you! ♡ 
> 
> thank you again, for reading and making it to this point! i am so excited to finally have a complete multichap fic!!


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